My Fair Lady
by CrimsonTrainer-4395
Summary: Kuro was a nobody. Yeah, she had friends, not to mention quite the...apathetic temperament at times, but in Hell, that won't do much for you. But, even with that said, how did the casual cat demon ever catch the eye of the Crow prince? Honestly, dude is such a self-centered, prideful asshole of a prince at times. Rated T for language and suggestive themes.
1. His Fair Lady, Variant

**Hi hi!**

 **Before we jump into this, this has nothing to do with From Ash to Dust. I might give a nod to that story every now and then, but other then that wall break, no. This is a whole different story that I've been thinking of for a while.**

 **With that said, this story's main setting is hell. If you don't like demons, demonology, satanic stuff and/or satanic-like symbols...**

 **...Then why are you here?**

 **Seriously, without really trying, a lot of my stories somehow end up having some sort of odd demon reference(s).**

 **Anyway, this new Black butler fanfic takes place (ideally) BEFORE Ciel.**

 **Also, the basic idea of this story is from "Sebastian X Demon!Reader His Princess", by "forevergotenandbra". At the time that I came up with this idea for a story, the person who wrote this (Shout out to the person, please don't sue me for using your idea in my own way) was either on hiatus or dropped the story for a bit, because it wasn't finished. So, with that said, I really liked the idea, but I wanted to change it up a little.**

 **So yes, with that said, be sure to check out the story that gave me the original idea!**

 **And now, hoping that the internet isn't mad with me for "stealing an idea"... ONWARDS!**

* * *

Long ago, before creation, God tossed an angel from heaven. For the bad deeds this angel had done, he was casted out of perfection, never to return.

This angel fell into hell, and became the ultimate evil, the prince of all evils.

Satan.

With the Power the first devil still had, he formed and crafted the hellish fiery landscape he fell in, a sort of heavenly garbage, into his kingdom.

Hell.

Most don't know this, but hell is divided. In the middle was the blood-brick castle, where Satan himself resided. The farther out you go, the more people you see, as the tall houses become forgotten shacks.

There was Rift, named for the fact that the area was the drop off point into a place lower than hell, where most lower-class demons lived. There was Gehenna, where those who fucked up in life were sent for eternal punishment, being the hell that most people knew of. There was Limbo, where those who died of natural sin were sent to live without pain. Then, there was the capital of hell, which stood with no name. Not that it needed one, really.

Like on the surface, demons are divided as well. There were the succubus, creatures born from lust. There is Legion, the demon who was many. There were devils, the children of Satan, and the strongest types of demons. There are the simple everyday demons that lived out eternity in this hell, while there were also those wicked enough to be banned from both heaven and earth.

Though different, they all had one thing in common.

All of them are fallen.

All of them rally to Lucifer.

All of them await their revenge.

But, of those, there are some who aren't as…intense?

* * *

In a small part the hell known as Rift, near the ridge that separated "land" from abyss, a small "apartment" stood with others on the cliff that separated kingdom from desolate land.

In said apartment, a certain demon was slowly rising from bed, yawning. She stretched her arms, before slowly sliding off of the bed…

…Before falling back asleep on the floor.

Being a rather lethargic demon, she spent another good fifteen minutes on the floor, before rising, rubbing her eyes.

She pulled a hand through her long curly brown hair, pulling lightly on one of the red strands, slowly prying open her dark violet eyes, before yawning once again. She couldn't help but giggle when she made her cat ears twitch, the two triangles barely visible in her hair unless she was right in the sunlight.

She slowly walked over to her dresser, which was the only other thing in her lone dark red bedroom, before changing into a casual long sleeve V-neck black shirt, onyx shorts, and a pair of leather boots.

Finally, she looked herself over in a mirror, before smiling a dastardly smile, making fingers guns with her hands before shooting herself in the mirror, "Bang bang, bitch." She grinned, pulling the dark red hoodie from the mirror.

She then did what any other sane person would do.

…She used her hoodie as a pillow and prepared to take another nap on the floor.

That plan, of course, was interrupted at the sound of something banging on the door.

She groaned, before rising from the floor. She ripped the door open, leaning on it casually, not caring that there was a demon in heavy looking armor waiting on the other side, "What?" She groaned, rubbing her eyes, as she looked over the demon's long golden yellow tail. He seemed to be a lion demon.

And those guys only had one type of job down here.

The demon stiffened, only to sigh, "Are you…Lilim Akuhei?" He asked. Something about the way he held himself made it seem as if he already knew the answer.

She couldn't help but cringe at the sound of her "legal" first name, before forcing a laugh, gesturing to the empty living room and hallway behind her, "No one else lives here, my dude." She smiled, before doing a sort of mock bow, "I'd prefer Kuro, if you'd please. At your service…Sorry, who are you?"

"I was sent here of the official business of the royal guard." He said, bowing ever so politely to the rather crude girl.

"I Already knew THAT," She snickered, wondering how long it would take to break this guy, "I'd like a name, 'Mr. demon guard'."

Even with the helmet over his head, she could feel his composure slowly fade, "…Marax."

"Nice to meet ya, Mar."

"…Please don't call me that."

"Fine, Mar-Mar." Kuro said in a real innocent tone, giggling like a little girl.

The guard seemed to tense, as if he could see right through the façade, before unraveling what looked like a long scroll, the very sight making Kuro yawn, "As of this year, the records show us that you are now of age to attend the prince's 20,000th year party tonight. This party is the one where-."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know." Kuro cut him off, yawning, "The whole 'Choosing Ceremony' thing. Don't waste your time explaining."

The guard sighed, "Then you know why you must show up."

"Oh, I know why I need to go." Kuro sighed, rubbing the back of her head.

Kuro could practically feel the relief on Marax's face, "Does this mean that you'll attend?"

The poor guard lost all hope, when Kuro grinned, "Nope!" She cackled, before slamming the door on his face.

Once she was sure that the guard wasn't about to throw down her door, Kuro did what she normally did on days like these.

She plopped herself down on the couch.

Doing a little cat stretch, she sighed, eyes coming to a bit too close. Humans had the ten commandments, but Kuro had the golden rule:

 _"Thou shalt not give two shits about what bystanders think of thou lazy-ass habits."_

Especially in the morning.

Or…Honestly, it was hard to know when it was morning when you live in a place akin to a red sun…

Eh, who's keeping count here, it's hell!

She jumped when another knock came to the door, feeling her non-existent heart beating out of her chest, before she rose, "Why does everyone decide to bother me in the damn morning!?" She groaned, before ripping open the door, "I don't want your damn girl scout- Oh." Kuro grinned, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, as she looked over her bulky neighbor, "Hey, Vale."

The tiger demon, more formally known as Valefor, growled lightly. Aero blue eyes stared into her black soul, spiky blond hair holding some black as well as bits of grey. He wore his usual attire, a striped dark orange and charcoal tank top over his broad chest, with long eerie black jeans, and bare feet. His orange and black-striped tail flickered with annoyance, "I hate it when you call me Vale. Stop calling me Vale."

"Like I would care, Vale." Kuro yawned, before giving him a weary look, "Why you even here? You never come by, unless it's real serious."

"You don't have a choice."

"…I'm sorry, bro?"

"To go to the 'party' tonight." Valefor sighed, acting all irritated as he leaned on the wall, blowing some of his hair out of his face, "You really don't have a choice. You'll be forced to go whether you like it or not."

Kuro gave him a look, before breaking into another fit of laughter, "What are they gonna do?" She scoffed, before smirking, "Drag me to the damn ceremony by force?"

"Yes."

Kuro blinked, "…You're shitting me."

"Not in any way, shape or form, no." Valefor insisted, "I've seen it happen."

"What happens if you're on contract?"

"It's too late for you to try and use that excuse, they already know that you're here."

"And if I was up there for a bit?"

"We both know that you can't do that."

"…Damn." Kuro murmured, before groaning, "So, I really got no choice."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Valefor groaned, holding his head, his tail whipping from side to side with aggravation, before he finally sighed, "Look, whatever you decide to do, don't be an idiot and put your life on the line for something as stupid and trivial as this."

Kuro gave him a cheeky grin, "Will do. I've learned from the last time." She threw in, hoping that Valefor wouldn't get the hidden message.

To her surprise, he didn't seem to, as he nodded, "Good. It'll be a shame to lose a neighbor with your…Temperament."

"You know I don't understand big words!" Kuro yelled, as he closed the door to his apartment behind him, only to have her do the same.

Kuro groaned, holding her head, before plopping herself onto the couch, "…I had a morning of nothing but snooze planned…" Kuro groaned, before looking to the clock. She had a bit of time before she was forced to go to this stupid party.

She had wanted to take a nap till then, but thanks to the guard and Vale, that "I-woke-up-and-want-to-go-to-sleep" feeling was long gone. And if she had time to kill, she knew where she was going…

Right before she left, she went back into her bedroom, pulling open the drawer of her vanity. Inside was a single ring, with a band of silver, and a gem of red ruby.

Shoving it into her short's pocket, she patted it twice like a good-luck ritual, before going for the door, shoving her hands comfortably into her hoodie pockets.

* * *

Even if she did live in a more rural part of Rift, she had to admit, she could have done worse.

Such as the very place she'd decided to hang out till the time came.

It was a run-down place, once a popular bar, now a place where she got her jobs. A place known as "Roaring Fire", simply a hole in the wall now.

Kuro opened up the door, smirking from under her hood when the chatter stopped. She shoved her hands into her pockets, walking right down the center, right to the bar stools.

She took a seat on one of the nicer stools, swinging it from side to side, before grinning up at the demon behind the counter, "Think you can get me something a bit stronger than normal, Shax?"

The first thing you think when you see this is guy that he's, well…Damn sexy. He had what any other women would want, and what men would kill to have (you read that right, kill to HAVE). His rust red hair was up in its usual ponytail, his bangs sticking up in a pretty hot way, covering his copper-colored eyes holding a bit of mystery. Two fox ears perked from the two sides of his head, one bent downwards slightly, as if he were listening to the ground.

He dressed as any other professional, the white dress shirt, the black dress pants, the whole thing.

Shax sighed, giving Kuro a look, only to have her return it in a mocking way," Come on, I don't have all day."

Shax gave her a look, before nodding with understanding, "…You're of age?"

"No fuck." Kuro murmured, as he mixed the drink, "You know, I thought I'd be lucky this time around. I really did. Last year, the age was lifted, but this year, it's lowered! The hell!?"

"…The prince this year is…Different." Shax murmured, before sliding her the drink, "…The Crow prince, I've heard them call him. He's…Well…you'll have to meet him to find out."

Kuro nodded, taking a sip, before sighing, "You know, for being 19,000 years old, I don't feel a day over 19."

"That…Is not a good thing."

Kuro stuck her tongue out, her inner child showing through, before she took a larger sip, "Oh well, that's future me's problem."

"…Thinking like that…Could get you executed." Shax murmured, as he cleaned the counter top.

Kuro tilted her head, her grin filled with bloodlust, as she licked her pointed canines, "They'd have to catch me first."

"That wouldn't be too much of a task for them."

"Asshole." Kuro muttered, before looking around, "Hey, where's Abraxas?"

"Still on his contract," Shax murmured, before his eyes flickered up to give Kuro a knowing look, "At least, that is what he last told me."

"I'm amazed you still trust his word." Kuro snickered, throwing the contents down her throat, enjoying the sharp kick it held, "This is the same Abraxas that breathes lies, right?"

"It is one thing for him to lie to me," Shax murmured, "It is another to lie to me about something that matters. So, what if he is not here? Let him do as he wishes; no one can control him anyway."

Kuro shrugged, "True. Not that I'd care much either way. Between you and me, I'm a bit too…lethargic to do more than talk."

"I wasn't aware that you knew what that word meant."

"Shut up." She murmured, before holding out her glass, "Refill."

Shax bowed, taking the now empty glass, "Yes, my lord." He said, his dry tone as sarcastic as it could get, had it not been for the fact that he never spoke in any other way.

"Oh, shut up." Kuro growled back, only to grin, "It's 'yes, my lady'; you low life fox demon."

Shax shook his head, walking off, right as someone else sat down on her right. She didn't bother to glance up, her left hand stretching out her fingers, "Someone's here early. What happened this time, Zagan? Did your ugly mug get turned down again?"

Said demon was bald, with bitter-lemon yellow eyes and teeth that looked like they'd recently ripped someone's throat out. He wore his signature brown leather coat over his bare chest, along with jeans made up of the skin of others he's defeated over the years.

At least, that's what he likes to say. But, from what Kuro knew, the skin of a demon could be leather-like, but not denim-like.

Oh well.

But, for as threatening as he looked, he merely laughed, before slapping Kuro's back, "Like anyone would ever like your rotten face!"

Kuro laughed with him, punching right back, "I'm hoping for it."

Shax sighed, "You should have chosen a mate by now, Kuro. You know how dangerous this whole 'Choosing Ceremony' can be."

Kuro nodded, only to sigh, "But I don't want to be weight down by some male demon!" She whined.

Shax merely shrugged, "It's better than being chosen by a prince. Even if the chances are small."

Zagan grinned, "Yeah, no way you'd get chosen! Besides, we wouldn't let that happen!"

Kuro couldn't help but feel touched, only to shake her head, "What will you do? Break me out?" She asked, before yawning. A nap really did sound right about now.

"I don't see why not!" Zagan laughed loudly, pounding the counter top with a bit too much force, the action making Kuro jump a bit, alert, while Shax to stop wiping down a glass.

"Do you mind? Counters are, like everything else, very expensive." Shax murmured in a calm yet irritated tone.

Kuro laughed, rubbing the back of her head, "In the guy's defense, have you seen him? Dude's a walking beefcake. He could high five someone with too much force and turn their hand into a red stain."

Shax nodded, before sighing, "Poor Belial."

"His fault for taking Zagan's drink," Kuro shrugged, before chuckling, "Just imagine, 'Here lies Belial. Full of pride. Full of ignorance. Full of stupidity'."

"…You have a special type of humor." Shax murmured.

"True that."

"It's better I fight then she does." Zagan said in his defense, shaking a bit at the thought, "At least I know when to stop."

"You also know how to break everything in my bar." Shax countered, "She has the decency to take a conflict outside."

"Come on, Zagan's fights don't get that bad." Kuro defended.

"…His last fight cost me over ten thousand gold, and more than half of my customers." Shax murmured, before gesturing to the more-or-less empty bar.

"Don't give me that crap." Kuro murmured jokingly, letting loose a large burp, before giggling, "The punishment was hard enough. If I hadn't offered to step in and help, Zagan would still be working it off."

Kuro shivered at the memory: washing dishes for a month. Nothing worse than repetitive and boring work done over and over again.

Her worst nightmare.

"For the damage he caused, it was only fair." Shax explained, before staring daggers into Zagan, "It wasn't as bad as what I made Zagan do."

Zagan scowled, "You made me work my ass off!" He growled, taking a rather large swing of his drink, "Besides, why doesn't she get screwed for taking guys out and coming back in alone? Have you seen the back alleys?"

"I don't own the back alley, so whatever happens there is not my problem." Shax murmured, "You, on the other hand, have managed to break three tables, over ten chairs, and this is my fourth counter this month."

"Ouch." Kuro winced, elbowing Zagan, "Calm the fuck down."

"Not to mention the injuries that have happened in here because of you." Shax added on.

"Injures?" Zagan guffawed, "You know as well as I do that it could have been much worse. Just be happy I didn't get my hand on a demon's sword."

Kuro laughed lightly, "Hell forbid that crap. I'd rather not get all slashed up like a sack of meat." Kuro murmured, "Speaking of which, humans are the worse, you know?"

Shax nodded, "Agreed."

"I love how damn ignorant they are. They think that the only way to solve a problem is to summon something from the pits of hell to clean up whatever mess they decide to leave behind." Kuro laughed, drinking the rest, before grinning, "They're like children blaming each other."

"You make it sound as if demon children are any better. What is worse; a demon child or a human child?" Shax questioned, for once, giving her all of his attention for once.

Kuro scowled, "Human child all the way. Have you seen them? They're such brats. It's two of the things I hate most together, brats and humans, all mixed into the form of a child." Kuro concurred, "Don't even get me started on how they are when they're rich."

"Like you're any different half the time." Zagan said, half sneer half grin.

"Shut it." Kuro murmured, sticking her tongue out, looking goofy rather than threatening.

Zagan nodded, "Yep, it's clear, you'll always act like a fucking child." He snickered, throwing his boots up onto the counter, as he leaned back.

"Bite me."

"Maybe I will."

Kuro wrinkled her nose, "Damn, Shax, help me out here!" She said, her voice taking the tone of a whining child.

Shax sighed, before giving Zagan a look, "If you keep this up, I won't save you from her wrath. Also, get your filthy boots off of my counter."

Zagan sighed, throwing his boots off, as he rubbed his head, "If I can ask, Kuro; what'll you do if they choose you?" He yawned.

Kuro shrugged, "Well, honestly; I don't know yet. I don't care much to stay with the gossip with the devils, so, I don't know much about the Crow prince."

"How can you, like, not know of the Crow prince!?"

Kuro tuned to the new voice, giving the new girl a look over, "…I'm sorry, who are you?"

She had short blond hair, one eyes a deep red, the other blank black. Other than those eyes, she was quite a looker. Maybe, if she'd kept quiet, and if she had the same colored eyes, she might have had a chance to pick up some demon guy.

Maybe the tattoo of a snake slithering up her collar bone was a good clue, or the dark red low-cut dress, but it was obvious what kind of demon she was.

The succubus chuckled, "Andras. Not that you low-lives would know who I am. I'm not a filthy commoner like you…demons." She then made a face, before leaning on the counter like she owned the place, sending Shax a rather suggestive smirk, "These peasants…Could you get me a big girl drink, honey?"

Shax was silent as he handed her a drink, not trusting his tongue to say anything, ignoring the suggestive wink she sent him, "Anyway, you're lucky that I'd bother sticking around here with you casuals."

"You make it sound like I care," Kuro shrugged, "Nice snake, by the way; I didn't know that they had slut snakes." She murmured more to herself, which only Zagan seemed to hear if the smile on his face said anything, before giving her a pointed look, "But what kind of dirt do you have on this Crow prince?"

"He's only the best thing in hell!" She said, her sultry tone making it that more obvious what was going on in her head, "I mean, last year's prince was hot, but this guy is gorgeous!"

"…Last year? You mean…Ugh." Kuro murmured, not wanting to finish. News travels fast in the depths of hell, especially when the prince of the year was a viper demon. With that thought, no wonder this chick was into the whole "getting chosen" thing, "Dude's teeth didn't even fit into his mouth. I'd hate for my first kiss to be my last, with that constant stream of venom."

Andras hissed, her snake-like pupils narrowing, "Watch your mouth, kitty cat." She growled, shooting up from her spot at the bar.

"You had better watch your own, Ms. Hiss." Kuro mumbled, watching the succubus out, before looking over her cup, "Hey, Shax; refill."

"…You're lucky I think highly of you." Shax murmured, taking away her glass before setting another one in its place, inspecting the claw-like marks that Kuro had left in the glass with a frown.

"You just got done grilling us for destroying your bar." Zagan pointed out, a large burp leaving his mouth.

"She's slightly better than you. At least she has half the mind to drag the person outside for a fight." Shax muttered, before walking away to serve someone else within the bar.

"…Why the hell do you think that dame was around?" Zagan muttered into his cup, a rather dark expression on him. Yet another thing dangerous about the brute, he's unpredictable. Even with as many jobs she's done with the guy, Kuro still had a hard time reading him. He'd jump from angry to happy or crying to laughing in no time at all.

"Who knows?" Kuro admitted, taking in the bar she already knew too well, "I'll never understand what a life of mad screwing will get you; but hey, who cares? They're still around and they do stuff, I guess; so why complain?"

To this, Zagan simply shrugged, returning to a rather casual and tranquil state of nature, as Shax walked back around, "Could be worse; like being chosen by a prince."

Kuro then turned to Shax, who had gone back to cleaning up behind the bar, "What does this year's prince even look like? I keep hearing 'Crow prince this' and 'Crow prince that', what's so good about this guy!?"

Zagan shrugged, "I've only seen him once, and even then, it was just a quick glance. All I remember are wine-red eyes."

"He is known to be quite the looker," Shax threw out, looking as nonchalant as he normally did, "To both genders, if I may add."

"That's just…disturbing." Kuro groaned, nearly spitting back up her drink, "Nothing against the gays, but still."

"Well, what do you want in the special demon?" Shax asked, mildly interested.

"Someone who doesn't mind me napping whenever I want, waking up when I want, and being an all-around child." Kuro admitted.

"Thought you hated kids." Zagan teased.

"I don't like kids; I can't change the fact that I act like them at times." Kuro shrugged, before shaking her head, "Back to the prince, give me the details…You know, if you have any."

"I hear that he's one of those favored princes." Zagan snickered, one hand on his cup while the other kept a grip on his knife, "You know, one of those 'hell's most cherished and adored'. Quite the ego on this guy."

"Because chicks dig a guy with an ego bigger than his head." Kuro cackled darkly, before shooting Shax a wink, "if you know what I'm trying to say."

Shax scoffed slightly, not even bothering to look up at her, "Do not speak of such things."

"Sure thing, dad." Kuro grinned.

A few more silent moments passed on, before Kuro rose from her seat, throwing some cash onto the table, "Well, I best be off."

Shax gave the clock a look, "The ceremony is planned to start in half an hour."

"Yep."

"You don't have a dress."

"Agreed."

"It takes an hour to get from here to the castle."

"Wow, you really do know a hell of a lot." Kuro grinned, before walking out the door, bowing, "Till I have time to bother you two again, I'll see you fuckers later."

With one last yawn, she closed the door behind her, leaving the two to themselves.

Finally, Shax sighed, "…I worry for her."

"I don't see why," Zagan muttered, downing his drink, "You know just as well as I that she can hold her own."

"It's the pride and defiance that comes with that which makes me re-think." Shax muttered, about to go on, only to shake his head. She was a big girl; she knew what she was doing. As childish as she was, she knew how the world worked.

With that final thought, Shax moved to serve a customer who sat in a darker corner of the bar, "Zagan, I will not warn you twice; feet off the counter." He shouted over his shoulder.

"Damnit! To hell with you!"

"…"

"…Oh."

* * *

"Will you look at that. The Crow looks presentable."

The second of the two laughed where he stood, the dark powerful sound resonating through the empty dark red and black halls, "You're not jealous now, are we, Araneae?"

"Hardly. I'm just not use to you acting sophisticated." The first retorted, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Not that it would have mattered either way, you always were one of father's favorites."

"Don't be swift to forget it." Wine colored eyes closed as a cruel smile pulled across the mouth of the famed Crow prince.

"Not that I'll care either way," Araneae hissed, crossing his arms over his chest, as the two looked through the dark window, watching as the servants of the castle quickly put together the party, "You'll find a girl, be her mate, and I'll never have to deal with you again."

"You make it sound as if residing alongside someone like you is a reward." The Crow scowled, the dark shadow behind him growing bigger, as black feathers fell to the floor, "Not that it will matter; a few more hours, and I will be able to pick a girl of my choosing. You'll have to wait your turn, little spider."

With that, the Crow walked away, trailing his large shadow to cover him. Left behind, Araneae scowled, pushing his glasses up over steely golden eyes.

"Soon, you dirty Crow, soon…"

* * *

 **Amy: Hey, Crim.**

 **Me: Yeh?**

 **Amy: Where do you keep coming up with these guys?**

 **Me: You'll have to explain a bit more.**

 **Amy: *Points to Kuro* Do you even know how many OC's you've made at this point?**

 **Me: Honestly?**

 **Azazel: You're either always around here or slowly forgotten.**

 **Me: Hey, you shush, I'm planning a sequel for you.**

 **Azazel: R-really!?**

 **Me: Yes, haven't we been over this? I'm pretty sure we've been over this.**

 **Lilith: And yet, the people are still waiting on my sequel, not that I'm in any rush.**

 **Kuro: Finally, someone that's not constantly in a hurry.**

 **Erin: God, she can speak!**

 **Kuro: I may be lazy, but yes, even I know how to open my mouth.**

 **Amy: Well that's a new trait in your characters.**

 **Me: Wanted to try something different.**

 **Katrina: Hey, where have I heard that before?**

 **Me: Shut up brainiac. Besides, Kuro is a cat demon. Cat's are lazy.**

 **Miu: I f-for one thinks t-that she'll be a g-great addition!**

 **Azazel: That's what you say about all of them.**

 **Miu: W-we don't h-have many optimistic people here.**

 **Lilith: Finally, something that comes out of your mouth that we can all agree on.**

 **Amy: So, how does it feel to be an OC?**

 **Kuro:...**

 **Amy:...Hello?**

 **Kuro:...**

 **Lilith: Well, for someone so lethargic, she can also be rather rude.**

 **Erin: True and same.**

 **Lilith: Shut it, you.**

 **Kuro:...Zzz...**

 **Amy: Fucker, I'm about to slap some sense into this piece of-**

 **Katrina: You half-minded cretin; she's asleep.**

 **Amy:...Crim...What have you made?**

 **Me: Honestly? I don't know yet.**

 **We'll find out soon enough.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, drop a review if you did, and I'll see you guys next chappy!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	2. His Fair Lady, Fiery

**Hi hi!**

 **I took a look at the reviews and I am so happy, like yas.**

 **Nothing makes me happier then knowing that I'm writing out some decently good content and knowing that somewhere out in the world, there are people reading and enjoying these stories.**

 **So, thank you reviewers!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kuro whistled, hands in her pockets, as she approached the large gates. The entrance to the palace was just as grand as it could get down here, the brimstone of the castle giving off a slight contrast from the dark gold-colored gates.

It was safe to say that this palace of a castle, or the other way around if you like. The front part of this monstrous fortress seemed to be a sort of small castle; compared to the rest of the fort, that is. This 'castle' was made alike to what humans called a 'military base' Even from the outside, everything looked so intricate and maze-like, and yet, it still held that expensively royal look to it.

Kuro followed a path directing her to the right, straight into what looked to be the party area, the walkway lined with guards. Kuro couldn't help but mock the guards, leaning right up in one of their faces, at least, she thought so. It was hard to pinpoint where they were looking with the mask, "Hello to you, good sir!"

"…"

"How's your day been?"

"…"

"…Some weather we're having, huh?"

"…"

"…So, how are the kids?"

"…"

"Aw, come on! Break, dammit!"

"…"

"…I will lick you."

"…*Gulp*…"

To that, Kuro grinned, clapping like a child that had just won a balloon, "I win." She cackled, before walking on, looking up at the golden arc that served at the entrance.

Her nose wrinkled at the sight of all the demons at this ceremony. As she walked into the area, the only thing that she could see were a hell of a lot of scantily clad demon women. From succubi to even a few of the better off "commoners", each wearing a sluttier dress then the last.

Kuro groaned, shoving her hands into her pockets, as her ears twitched, "…Gotta wonder, did humans copy demons or vice versa?" Kuro muttered to herself rather darkly, as she did another 360.

The ceiling was high, to the point where she couldn't see where the chandelier is hanging from, the chain disappearing into the sky. The walls were made of what looked to be a dark brimstone, while the floor looked to be a polished obsidian. Kuro couldn't help but stomp on the ground with her boots, a bit pleased with herself when a scuff mark was left.

Now, if only she could do that for the rest of the night.

* * *

Watching from the balcony, a pair of wine-colored eyes watched with slight amusement, as one last female demon wandered into the room. Honestly, it was obvious that she was a commoner. With the clothing that she wore (a hoodie to a formal event. How audacious of her) and the way she held herself, there was no way that she was of royal demonic heritage.

His eyes lingered on her, however, when she turned around. Something about those eyes made his breath hitched. Dark violet. They suited her nicely. Not to mention the adorable two cat ears that stuck up from her curly brown hair.

He wouldn't lie, out of all the demons yet, this one seemed…promising…Even if she was just trying to make scuff marks in the floor for whatever reason.

The edge of his mouth curled up with his smirk, as his wine-red eyes trained on her.

"What a curious little thing."

* * *

Truth be told, she couldn't make scuff marks in the floor all night.

Kuro shook her head, retreating to a more secluded area of the large room. This was the first time that she had been to one of these, so it felt odd yet obvious that she'd stand out. All the women wore flashy dresses, outrageous hair, the makeup and everything.

Kuro never did like the "nobles", as they were commonly called. It was funny, how demons seemed to take a lot of phrases and slang from those that reside up above. All they had was power, but all they wanted was more power.

Kuro couldn't understand demons like them. They had everything, more than she'd ever had, and much more than a lot of demons on the rift could dream of; and yet, it would never be enough.

Once again, Kuro wasn't sure who copied who; was it the humans that copied the demons, or vice versa?

She groaned, looking around for a clock, only to shake her head. Didn't matter how long she was stuck there; she'd be bored either way.

What she would give to get the hell out of there. At least she could do something if she were at the bar. Maybe do a contract for kicks or receive a "job" against some nobleman. You know, a usual night. But no, she just had to show up to possibly be married off to some higher force.

Cause women love doing that shit.

It was only then that Kuro noticed the odd stares and looks she was receiving. How they would hide their mouths to say what they could about Kuro's attire. To this, Kuro couldn't help but grin.

Good for them, she thought. Let them say that she was the odd one out, let them speak of how casual she looked among them. Not that she'd care, for all she minded, one of them could be on her hit list.

You know, when she found it.

…If she decided to find it anytime soon.

With that happy thought, she pulled the ring from her jacket, fiddling with it. Half of the reason that she brought it around was just so that her mind wouldn't wander. It helped to center her thoughts to one small area, rather than jumping all over the place.

In hell, you had to be observant 24/7. The minute you blink, the minute you look away, anyone could jump you, especially when you live next to the Rift.

The ring helped her to focus on the here and now, in a way. It helped her to keep her mind and thoughts on everything around her, like the way that a demon in a green dress giggled at some joke a demon in a blue dress made, all while her friend slipped her hand into the green dresses pocket, before walking away, rather happy with the coin purse she was able to snatch.

Even the nobles weren't safe from the way hell worked.

Kuro then slipped the ring on, before twisting it, looking around. Surprisingly enough, not much had changed about the building, nor the people.

Who'd a thunk, right?

Kuro couldn't help but grow a bit bored, as time went on. Nothing was happening! What was the point of coming here if all they really did was lock a bunch of at-age girls in? It wasn't really even a proper party at this point! Last she checked, they weren't even serving food.

This wasn't a party; this was…a gathering without food.

…Yeah.

"Nice ring, kitty cat."

At the voice, Kuro growled, head whipping up to see a familiar face, "Nice dress, Ms. Hiss." Kuro shot right back, gesturing to the short black dress that just came down to her upper thigh, "Trying to get laid in a place like this?"

"More like trying to get spotted." Andras hissed, crossing her arms over her chest, before looking Kuro over, "Not that we'd have the same problem, with the rags that you're wearing."

"Well, good for me, I don't plan to be married off anytime soon." Kuro groaned, looking around. Out of all the demons that Andras could bother, she had to have come here, "I don't know about you, but being 'joined' like that? Yeah, weights you down."

"Or gives you nobility status." Andras taunted, "Can you think about all of the stuff you get when you're with a prince? Oh, course you can't, you're the lowest low life here."

"You know, when I get the feeling that you don't like me, why bother sticking around?" Kuro huffed, slowly growing a bit more aggravated by the second.

"Because, little puss-puss- ", Kuro shuddered at the sound of the newest evil nickname, "-If the prince sees someone as beautiful as me next to some low life like you, my odds of him talking to me gets higher!"

"Just like you when you when you snort a bit too much." Kuro sighed, before scratching one of her ears. She gave Andras a side glare, her mind running with all the different ways she could kill the succubus at that very second.

"Do you want to start something here, kitty cat?" Andras scowled, her eyes daring Kuro to do something.

To which, Kuro couldn't help but reel her fist back, ready to bust her skull clean open, only to stop. She wasn't in rift, here she had little to no street cred. If she were to punch her in the face, there would be more screams of terror then screams of approval.

But, right before she could withdraw her hand, Andras snatched it, looking over the ring, "Where did you get this jewel? Steal it?" She murmured, before ripping it off of Kuro's finger.

"Hey!" Kuro exclaimed, making a grab for it, "Give it back!"

"Aww, maybe the kitten knows how to play fetch?" Andras chided, before tossing the ring, "Go on!"

Kuro tried to jump and catch it in the air, only to feel the cool metal miss, going right through her fingers. Eyes going wide, she turned around to face the crowd of demons the ring fell into.

Before she could whip around to high jump kick Andras into a wall, guards or no guards (she was ready to leave an Andras-shaped hole in the wall), only to find her long gone.

Growling to herself, she basically dove into the crowd, trapped in a mad frenzy in order to search for the ring. Normally, if it were something like a spare pocket knife or even a couple of extra coins, fuck it, she would have left it to go.

But, unlike all of that, this ring was irreplaceable.

Just as she whipped around to check if it was behind her, Kuro let out a small yelp, colliding into someone else's chest. Kuro fell to the ground, holding her head as if that would help the room stop spinning.

She looked up to see a gloved hand offered to her, before taking it, allowing the person to pull her up. Damn lady, just who the hell did she think she was-!?

Her mind rant was stopped when her dark violet eyes met with deep golden ones. Kuro cocked her head to the side, while it was a usual demon color, she had yet to see someone with that color in person.

Normally gold was an eye color reserved for the royals and the higher nobles, so maybe she walked into someone real important.

Once she was pulled all the way up to her feet, she took in that short messy black hair, and couldn't help but wonder why a being of perfect vision would need glasses.

"…Miss?"

Kuro shook her head, how long had she been zoned out, "…Yeah?"

She could tell that the demon seemed taken aback by her calm and lax style of speech, "I am terribly sorry to have run into you like that, are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, dude; I'm fine." Kuro insisted, continuing her search on the floor, "just, ah, might have dropped a thing."

"Excuse me?"

"I. Dropped. A. Thing." Kuro said slowly, as if he spoke a different language, "My God, do you speak German? I know a bit of German-."

"What did you drop?" He cut off, an eyebrow rose.

"Ah, my ring." Kuro murmured, nearly slapping someone's shoe when they tried a bit too hard to step on her hand.

"Could you by any chance mean this ring?"

Kuro couldn't believe her luck, as the man produced her ring in his hands, "Dude, thanks."

"Please, allow me." He tried to insist, only to have Kuro rip it out of his hands quickly, shaking her finger.

"Nah dude, I'm not about to let some guy put a ring on my finger." She said in almost a teasing manner, before twisting the ring back on, making sure that no crazy snake slut could rip it off of her finger again, "Good as new." It was then that the curious side of Kuro sprouted out, "…Are you gay?"

"…I'm sorry?"

"Well, why else would a sharply dressed guy like you bother being in a place like this?" Kuro asked, her curiosity pushing out all respect and mannerism to a point, "Looking to catch the eye of this Crow Prince dude?"

The demon before her huffed, shaking his head, "As a matter of fact, no. I am not gay, nor am I looking to catch my brother's eye."

The gears clicked relatively easily in Kuro's mind, as her eyes widened, "Oh shit…Does that mean…that you're…You're a…?"

The man cocked his head to the side, before doing a slight bow, "Yes, I am one of the many sons of Lucifer; Prince Aranea." He said, as he politely bowed, something that most people didn't do after Kuro teased them in such a way, "A pleasure to meet you."

* * *

From his spot, the Crow grinded his teeth, as he watched his brother talk to the cat demon. How dare he think that he was allowed to speak to one of his many choices of a mate?

The fact that his own brother wanted the feline just made the idea of owning her all the sweeter, as he slowly walked for the stairway down, licking his teeth.

He knew what had to be done.

* * *

"…Can I just call ya Arc?"

"…I beg a pardon?"

"Don't get me wrong, it's great to meet you, your prince-ness." Kuro grinned, doing a mock bow, "But, your name is kinda…long. Like, hella long, if ya get my drift." Kuro grinned.

"Might I ask for yours?" Aranea, now renamed Arc (thank God), asked in a cold sort of manner.

"Kuro." Kuro grinned, before poking his cheek, appearing to slowly aggravate him more, "Aww, why so serious, buddy?"

"I am NOT your buddy." Arc said smoothly, giving her a look. Surely, she was playing from some sort of angle.

"Oh, sorry Mr. high-and-mighty." Kuro murmured, still smirking, "Not all of us can live in luxury like you."

"It is not as cracked up as it may be played to be." Arc sighed, before looking down at Kuro's ring, "You speak as if you yourself are not well off."

"I live on the fucking Rift." Kuro muttered in a bitter manner, before holding up her middle finger. No, it wasn't to flip him off, it was to show the ring (at least, that what Kuro would have insisted), "This has nothing to do with my social standing, or whatever you wealthy demons call yourselves. But hey, whatever, right? Power ain't everything."

Arc nodded. All his life had been spent being waited on hand and knee, for whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. It was…odd, to hear how it must be on the other side of the spectrum.

It intrigued him.

"What are you willing to do about it?"

"Huh?" Kuro muttered, giving him a look, "What was that?"

"If I said that I could give you what you want, what are you willing to do for it?" Arc asked, curious. Maybe he could steal a treat from under Crow's nose after all.

"…Who the fuck do you think I am?"

Once again, Arc was thrown off, "…I'm sorry?"

"Look, I know your royalty and all, and sorry if I pushed it a bit with the whole gay thing earlier," Kuro muttered, that was as close to an apology as she'd be getting, "I know that you've got all the money and gold that you could ever flaunt, but I don't want your help." Kuro groaned lightly, cat ears perked up in a sort of angry manner.

"…And why is that?" Arc pushed, doing all he could to understand the mystery that seemed shrouded in the dark red hoodie. His mind had yet to have the time to look over her more-than-casual attire. Just what was this demon?

"Isn't it obvious?" Kuro grinned, "Cats don't like to be tied down. They're free roamers, free spirits to a point. Besides, I don't want to have to owe you something. You know how annoying it is to owe a debt? So not worth."

"Which is why you won't accept my help." Arc put together, speaking it aloud to make sure he understood it. And yet, the simple answer only managed to spawn more questions in his head. He might have had the time to ask them to, had it not been for the dark shadow that slowly came to grow over Kuro.

"Miss?"

She turned around, facing a guard, "…I prefer the term 'delinquent'. Makes me feel younger."

"You have been called for an audience." He said in a gruff voice, a metal-clad hand landing on her shoulder.

"Aw, fuck!" Kuro grumbled, before giving Arc a look, "…Did you slip them something about me, dude? Harsh! I was just starting to trust you, too!"

Arc had little to on time to react, as she was escorted deeper into the room, before shaking his head. Of course, Crow was watching, he thought bitterly to himself as he followed the pair.

They weren't hard to lose, even in the crowd. It would be hard to lose a guard in the middle of many well-dressed women. He pushed a few aside, others had to be pushed off, some of them smelling of the bitter stench of alcohol.

Finally, he found them on the other side of the room, the guard lifting some drapes out of the way, before ushering her in.

He had planned to follow her, at least keep an eye on her, only for the guard to stand in front of the entrance, making sure no one goes in or gets out. With that, he was forced the wait at the entrance, shaking his head.

She had caught his attention.

* * *

Kuro walked into a dim room, the only light coming from torches coming from each corner of the room. In the dimly lit room, only three other people resided, all of which guards. Before Kuro could back up, one of them moved to the door, blocking it.

She was trapped in.

"Finally."

At first, she thought the voice to be a whisper in the back of her head, as she could just barely detect the sound from the silence, "…Am I going insane? Finally."

"Well, good evening to you, young miss."

The voice made a cold shudder go down Kuro's spine, as she spun to meet the person behind the voice, "…Umm…Hi?" Kuro murmured, looking the demon over.

She could feel the power and the royalty that rolled off of his shoulders, as if the expensive-looking black coat wasn't already enough to signify that much. Those wine-red eyes were normally held by only the strongest of the strong, the royals, nobles, and…

"So…You're a prince." Kuro muttered, shoving her hands into her pockets as she rocked back and forth on her heels, looking everywhere but the very demon that seemed to be inspecting her from afar.

Kuro shuddered at the feeling of being watched, like prey to a predator. In fact, what she'd give to be in the actual prey's position, those wine-red eyes held a bit too much power over her, "I am." He stated, before reaching out to hold her hair, "Prince Corvus Crow, at your service."

Kuro ducked her head away, giving him a look, "It would be a real good 'service' to the both of us if you didn't try to get all grabby."

To this, the prince laughed, "Such vigor," He chided, pulling his hand away, "To think that someone like you would talk to someone like me in such a manner; has no one ever taught you respect?"

"I could say the same about you." Kuro shot right back, almost snapping at him. In the back of her head, she couldn't help but cringe. She was speaking to someone of a higher status, a prince none the less, but at the same time, she never was one to use a filter, "Besides, this someone has a name."

"How rude of me. What might your name be, little kitty cat?" Kuro wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth right then and there.

"Kuro. Best remember it, I'm sure you'll want the name of the demon that managed to fuck you up." She said in a half threatening half nonchalant tone.

She was taken aback when he laughed, shaking his head, "Such a feisty one, aren't you?" He murmured, more to himself than anyone else, "However, there is no need to be threatening."

Kuro's eyes narrowed, when it hit her. She was standing before the prince that would soon choose a girl, a girl like her, to be married to. With that in mind, she smirked, "Just cause you're a prince doesn't mean that you'll always get what you want, Prince Crow." She smirked, nearly spitting the name out of her mouth.

"Oh?"

"No one gets everything they want." Kuro insisted.

"I'm not a 'no one'." Crow snickered right back.

"You're a no one to me." Kuro shot right back around, so tempted to spit in his face. In the back of her mind, she slapped herself a high five, "Try all you want, you're not controlling me."

"Someone ought to get you a leash and collar, Kitten~." He cooed, reaching out the pet her cat ears.

Meanwhile, Kuro scowled, before slapping his hand away, "Someone ought to get you a cage, Crow." She shot right back.

She nearly howled with laughter when his eyes went wide. It felt nicer than it should to get under the armor of a prince. But, yet again, he managed to surprise her when grabbed her wrist, faster than she could have stopped him, "Hey, what the hell, man!?" She shouted, trying to rip her arm away, only to then realize that he was a lot stronger than his rather lanky figure led her the believe.

It took a lot to keep her from kicking him in the face when he bent down, almost as if he was to give the back of her hand a kiss, only to for him to take a deep breath in.

Kuro made a face. Ugh, so he was one of THOSE guys.

Wonderful.

However, nothing stopped her from slapping him when a sharp pain stabbed into her hand, causing him to release the arm entirely. Looking it over, she took in the rather deep fang marks he'd left, before curling her fist up, "Dude, the fuck!" She groaned, watching it bleed a bit.

All the while, he was stuck there, eyes wide, as his hand went to feel his cheek, where she'd slapped him. She couldn't help but feel filled with pride, especially when he refused to look at her, "…You may leave." He said in a low voice.

She didn't waste another moment in there, as she walked out, "Asshole." She murmured, as she left.

However, with that said, she didn't see the sly smile that crossed his face, as he threw his head back, laughing. To think that the guards would get five other girls before bringing in the right one.

He couldn't help but savor the taste of her blood, even if it came at the expense of a slap to the face. Such a sweet taste for someone who tried to be so rotten.

Did she really think that he was stupid enough to be blind to her game?

No matter, he always got what he wanted in the end.

* * *

Arc nearly jumped back when he watched Kuro push past the guard, said guy looking like he was about to stop her, only to shake his head, a silent voice ushering him into the room.

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at how irritated she looked, "And where do you think you're going?"

"Away." Kuro answered rather simply, as she shoved her hands into her pockets, the action not enough to stop her hands from shaking with what looked to be rage on her face, "I came, I saw, I'm out."

Meanwhile, Arc followed behind her, all the way until she was at the edge of the gates. She turned around and gave him a look, "…You need something from me?"

Arc shook his head, and yet, his eyes bore into hers. "…For what it is worth, it was nice to meet you." Arc said simply, before bowing.

Kuro nodded, a small smile on her face, "Same here, my dude." She said, shooting him one last huge toothy grin, before turning around, "Who knows, maybe we'll meet up again some time."

Arc, however, remained silent, as he watched her go. He stood there for who knows how long, long enough for other women to begin to leave the ceremony, some vying for his attention, only for him to remain standing there, almost statue like.

Even with all of the questions she left him with, he couldn't help but feel content with that real, truly happy smile of hers.

* * *

 **Come on, we all knew it was going to go down.**

 **Azazel: Why does this look familiar?**

 **Me: I wanted another swing at a love triangle, sue me.**

 **Amy: After going through Azazel's story, I wasn't aware that you know what a "love triangle" is.**

 **Erin: Have you seen Korean drama? They don't have love triangles, they have freaking love hexagons.**

 **Lilith: What I want to know is how, out of everyone there, was Kuro able to catch his eye? Without trying?**

 **Kuro: I can stand for that, I was about this close to taking a nap on the floor.**

 **Amy: Dude, I'd pay to see that.**

 **Kuro: How much? Come on, make it worth my while.**

 **Erin: Now you sound like you're trying to sell yourself.**

 **Kuro: Again, make it worth my while.**

 **Miu: I personally think t-that this'll b-b-be a nice change!**

 **Katrina: That's what they thought of me and my story.**

 **Amy: Now is not the time to be salty, Wise ass.**

 **Katrina:...Is that my official nickname?**

 **Kuro: Hehehe, nice...Zzz...**

 **Lilith: And she's out of it.**

 **Me: I'll end it now.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed, I update on the weekends, so if you're super thirsty for another chapter, the soonest I'll probably get it out is next week Saturday. Sorry, I'd get it out sooner, but I've got a lot on my plate.**

 **With that said, I hope you guys enjoyed, be sure to leave a review if you did, and I'll see you guys next chappy!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	3. His Fair Lady, swept off her feet

**Kuro: FUCK THE CROW!**

* * *

The next morning, the first thing that hit her was the throb in her hand. It was one thing to have your hand get hit and that tiny baby-throb afterwards. This was like "Crap-my-hand-is-on-fire" throbbing.

Slowly easing herself up from her bed, clutching her hand as she got up. Looking it over, she cringed at how the broken skin looked like it was slowly turning purple, the wounds themselves no longer bleeding, leaving four holes in the muscle of her thumb.

"Fuck the cage, that crow needs a freaking muzzle." Kuro groaned to herself, trying her best to wash out whatever royal disease he managed to get into her system. When the throbbing didn't stop after a bit of washing, Kuro groaned, "I swear, if he gave me some demonic rabies…" She growled, leaving the threat to hang.

In all honesty, she couldn't wait to just chill and become one with the bed; or the floor for that matter, she really didn't care too much. Having went to sleep in what she'd worn the day prior, nothing would have honestly felt nicer for her then to strip naked and go back under the covers.

But, of course that couldn't happen, as a knock came to the door.

"I swear to God, if it's a fucking guard…" Kuro grumbled, throwing the door open, before growling, "What ya want, Vale?"

To this, Vale sighed, "It's not that early, how can you still be irritated?" He sighed, a large bag by his feet.

"Yesterday was crap." Kuro answered simply.

"Well, hopefully today will be better," Valefor muttered, looking around, before whispering, "Shax has a job for us today."

To this, Kuro slammed the door in his face, talking a few seconds, before she came back out dressed in a rather casual tank top and shorts, hoodie wrapped around her waist, "Well, hurry it up then!" Kuro grinned, jumping up and down like a little girl, "Asses need to be kicked and names need to be taken!" She skipped off, putting her ring on as she dashed by, "Race you there!"

The tiger demon groaned, rubbing the back of his head, before walking out, hefting the rather heavy bag over his shoulder; they were late enough as it was.

* * *

Once right outside the locked bar door, Kuro knocked harder than she really needed to, nearly leaving a dent in the door, "Hey, we here!"

From the other side, Zagan threw the door open, "About time. What took so long?"

"Catty forgot her bed time last night." Vale muttered, walking into the empty bar, a fuming Kuro right behind him.

"Oh, shut it." Kuro groaned, "You didn't have to go to a party that wasn't really a party."

Vale gave her a look, only to sigh, taking the drink that Shax had placed before him with a silent thank you, "So, heard we have a job?"

Shax nodded, before retreating to the back. From what Kuro understood, there was supposed to be a kitchen back there. But, from what she's smelled and heard from beyond that door, there was much more being done back there then the preparation of food and drink.

But hey, who was she to talk?

Zagan let loose a loud gross burp, before cackling to himself, kicking his dirty boots up onto the counter, "That tasted as bad as it smells!"

"…Dude, TMI." Kuro muttered, rolling her ring around the counter in her boredom, before watching vale take another sip, "…Hey, Vale?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you heard anything on Abraxas?"

Vale took a moment of silence, before speaking up, "I hear a lot, some myth others truth. What I am sure of is that Abraxas is getting deeper and deeper into surface smuggling."

Kuro nodded, "Makes sense. You'd think that the ban on going up to the surface without contract would have done something."

Vale nodded, as Shax came back, a file in his grasp, "Here you are." He muttered, handing the file to Vale. Being how he sat in the middle, both Zagan and Kuro leaned closer, as Vale pulled out the first paper. As Zagan shifted his weight, Shax scowled, shoving his boots off of the counter, an action the scorpion demon barely registered in his childlike curiosity.

"Hmm, Halphas Malthus." Vale mused the name out loud.

"Heard of him, his name went big when he was exposed for being a surface smuggler." Zagan commented.

"Dead or alive?" Kuro asked, slowly getting bored. She was hoping for the first, it was so boring and tedious to drug and kidnap a demon only to have someone else do the fun part for them.

"Dead." Vale muttered, watching Kuro do an air fist bump, eyebrow rose, "There is something wrong with you and your…misplaced joy."

"Don't care." Kuro said, sticking her tongue out childishly, before facing Shax, "When was the request dropped?" She asked, as he placed a glass of her special drink in front of her. Downing it, she reveled in the burn it left going down her throat.

"Last night, found it just as I was locking up." Shax murmured, "The name of the requester is unknown, but when the death becomes known, he will have someone come by with the gold."

"How much?" Kuro asked, "I'd hate to bust out my shiny new toys if I only get double digits."

"Ten thousand gold." Shax said simply, throwing around the large number as if it was little to nothing to him.

"Ten thousand gold?" Vale mused, even if he said it aloud, he couldn't really believe it, "Each?"

"Each." Shax insisted, pointing out the very wording on a different page.

"Not too bad." Zagan muttered, "Nothing like money to throw away."

"Not that you'll get the chance." Shax cut in, returning Zagan's surprised look with a stern one, similar to a father about to scold his children, "You owe a lot to this bar, I doubt that ten thousand will cover more than half."

Zagan looked to Kuro for help, only to have her cackle lightly, "Sorry dude, but I've been spotting you for decades now, pay for your own crap."

"Wow, I know you'd stoop low, but having Kuro pay?" Vale shook his head, "that is a new low."

"Do I look like Abraxas to you?' Zagan spat right back, his shadow growing behind him, as something threatened to snake out from under his coat, "No? Then drop it."

"Do not start a fight when we're planning an assassination." Kuro yawned, as if she didn't really care, which in all honestly, as long as they abided by the "you hit me I hit you back" rule.

Shax sighed, before pulling a paper closer to him to inspect, "A pity. I used to do business with Halphas; a good partner if I ever did see one."

To this, Kuro rose an eyebrow, Zagan continuously dishing out on Vale on how he was not a "sissy", as he put it, "And you're okay with this?"

Shax gave her a look, "You know just as well as I that you do whatever you can to make it down here; that is why you're here in the first place, is it not?"

"Well, if I'm to be honest, there aren't many other places that pay me to be half lazy and half psychotic sharpshooter." Kuro grinned, stretching, before leaning forward, clapping her hands together, "But, if this is an assassination, please tell me that we're getting some new toys."

To this, Vale pulled his large bag onto the counter, opening it, "Don't break it like your last set." He muttered, before pulling out a large sniper.

Kuro's eyes went wide, clapping her hands together, "Oh my Satan, it's my fucking birthday!" Kuro ripped the sniper out of Vale's hands, the weight nearly making her topple over the chair, before hugging it, "I'm going to sleep with this."

"Do be careful," Vale sighed, "the scope is detachable, and the bullets are made of the usual."

"Lævateinn shards," Kuro mused, looking through the scope, "I'd call you Santa, but Christmas is a Christian holiday. Where do you find this crap?"

"I know people." Vale said simply.

"Whatever man," Kuro shrugged, "I'm going to sleep with this."

"…You do you." Vale muttered, before turning to Zagan, "I also managed to get you a few new sets of brass knuckles."

"Vale, you're the fucking best." Zagan grinned, slipping on a golden set, before gesturing to Kuro, "Wanna help me test these out?"

"Only if you help me test out my new toy." Kuro shot right back, hefting the weapon over her shoulder, only to nearly fall over, "Holy hell, this thing weighs more than I do."

Vale shook his head, before pulling out a small hand-held knife, holding it out to Shax, "I know you'd rather not, but just in case you need it."

Shax looked it over, unsure, "…You know as well as I do that possession of Lævateinn shards are punishable by death."

Kuro cackled, before pulling her knife out from her waistband, tossing it onto the counter, "In that case, sign me up for the gallows." She grinned, before pulling out a few bullet magazines and tossing them on as well.

"Don't joke about that kind of shit." Vale scolded.

Zagan, on the other hand, opened up his jacket, revealing his wide array of blades, "I better get the spot right next to you."

"My dude!" Kuro grinned, slapping high fives right in Vale's face, "I like some!"

"Not within my bar." Shax sighed, before accepting the weapon Vale was offering, "Only to defend this establishment. How much will I owe you?" He asked, stowing it away into a hidden compartment under his counter.

"Don't worry about it." Vale insisted, before sighing, as he gave Kuro a look, "Don't do what you did with your last one."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kuro huffed right back, "I certainly did not set up and wait three days straight for a certain someone, so I could put a bullet through their head."

Vale gave her a look, only to have Kuro sigh, "Fine; I didn't put a bullet through their arms, legs and butt hole either."

Zagan nearly spat out his drink, "That is pushing the line."

"Hey, I made sure he was already dead! What do you think I am, a savage!?" Kuro exclaimed, only to chuckle awkwardly under Vale's glare, "I mean, I didn't wait for him to die?"

"This is why I don't like giving you more weapons after you eventually break them." Vale sighed, "But, since you are our Overwatch-."

"Don't say that," Kuro cringed, before looking around, "Blizzard might sue us."

"Umm, we don't have Blizzards down here." Zagan muttered, utterly confused, "Only fire."

"Well, you never know, they have some sort of saying up there with the phrase 'when hell freezes over'." Kuro went on, grinning when Vale sighed, shaking his head, "But, last I checked, this isn't Norse hell."

"Please, for the love of Satan, stop the stupid joke." Vale sighed, looking to Shax for help, only to have him leaning off the other side, watching with slight amusement.

"Pff, you call yourself Vale, I think we should start to call you Valve." Kuro grinned, before throwing her hands up, "Okay, now I'm done."

Shax then sighed, "So, we execute tonight?"

"Tonight." Kuro insisted, cracking her knuckles, "Ain't nothing gonna stop me from this!"

This is the very moment that Kuro's life began to fall apart.

Shax slowly went for the door, confused when a knock came to it, "I apologize, but we are closed." He said loudly, while Vale and Kuro worked to hide the weapons.

"Think you were caught?" Kuro grinned, as Vale stored the sniper away, in the counter's hidden compartment.

"Of course not." Vale sighed, watching Zagan tie up his coat, hiding everything on him, "I know my trade well."

"If you call weapon smuggling a trade." Kuro grinned, watching as Shax opened the door, just enough for him to see who was outside, "Jeez, you're a weapon smuggler, Abraxas is possibly a surface smuggler, and Zagan is…well, Zagan. I feel left out!"

Vale hushed her, the two of them going back to sit by Zagan, who took another large sip from his drink, "Shit, who you think it is outside?" He muttered, as Shax walked out, closing the door behind him.

"I don't know, dude," Kuro shrugged, before wincing, rubbing her wounded hand, "Shit!"

Vale grabbed her hand, looking it over, "What did this to you?"

"Oh, you know," Kuro grinned, trying to shrug it off, when another painful throb went through her hand, "The damn Crow prince."

"What!?" Vale muttered, before shaking his head, "Is it throbbing?"

"Yeah," Kuro stated, taking another sip, "Tends to happen when there are fang marks in your hand!"

"That's not why it's throbbing," Vale muttered, before cursing to himself, pulling her out of her chair, "Kuro, you need to hide."

"What? Why!?" Kuro asked, surprised as she ripped her wrist out of Vale's hold. She did so just in the nick of time, as the bar door was thrown open.

Standing on the other side, dressed in an expensive black suit and tie, the Crow prince stood. His smirk was as cocky as Kuro last remembered it, as Vale and Zagan slid down from their seats, kneeling, "And there she is."

Kuro looked around, before giving him a pointed look, "…Yeah…This is where I am."

He chuckled, before crossing the room. From outside, Kuro could see that two guards stood with Shax outside, and if the spears over Shax's chest said anything, they were keeping him from coming back in for some reason.

"Now, what is my Kitten doing in a place like this?" Crow murmured, looking over the establishment with a bit of disgust from the dust in the corners and the rather broken-looking tables and chairs.

"Okay, one, not your Kitten." Kuro shuddered at the nickname, "And two, don't talk shit about my chill place."

"Your…chill place?" He questioned, head tilted to the side.

"Yeah." Kuro grinned, before resting back on her chair, eyes closed, "So, I hope you don't want anything from me."

Little did Kuro know that what she did was a big mistake.

Kuro yelped, as she was picked up from the chair bridal style. Kuro squeaked, nearly falling out, only to have the Crow strengthen his hold on her, his nose a bit too close to her neck, "Don't worry, Kitten; I won't let you fall."

"I'd prefer the floor over you." Kuro hissed back rather silently.

The Crow shook his head, walking out, "Now then, that is no way to speak to your newly betrothed."

"…My huh?" Kuro muttered, before hissing as Crow carried her outside, the blinding red sun making Kuro want to rip her eyes out. All outside, the only thing holding back the curious onlookers being the wall of guards that held them back at spear point.

Some of the crowd were slightly familiar faces, some of the regulars at the bar, other demons that Kuro lived next to and grew up around. Even if majority were strangers, the onlookers still made Kuro want to hide her face in slight shame and embarrassment.

So much for street cred.

"Put me down." Kuro growled through closed teeth.

However, all he did was smirk, before raising his voice, "Listen well, commoners of the Rift. Take pride in knowing that one of you were chosen to be at my side till the end of time."

It took a while for the words to register, and even then, she gave him a look, "Tell me I'm wrong when I say-."

She was given little to no time to finish the thought, as two large, black wings unfurled from his back. Before she could say anything, the air around her rushed forth, the prince shooting straight up into the sky.

Now, Kuro liked to think that, for as much as she liked and tried to be positive, she was rather negative with a lot. Thus, this led to her hating a multitude of things, such as:

-Random water dropping on her (Thank Satan there was no rain down here)

-Sudden loud noises (Zagan still got a kick out of that one time he had that air horn on him)

-Hairbrush getting stuck in hair (Damn knots)

-Sudden touches (Some people thought the cat ears were cute. That was normally their last thought)

-Too much attention (Hard to kill someone when you've got that)

And those were just off of the top of her head.

But, she now had something new to add to that list.

Heights.

Eyes going wide, she clamped down on the Crow, hugging him tighter than she'd ever want to, a slew of curse words exiting her mouth as they got higher and higher.

She could hear the Crow chuckle, his smooth cheek nuzzling against her neck, "Don't worry, Kitten; I won't let you fall."

"The ground is looking a lot less threatening than you." Kuro noted, trying not to let the sudden change in height get to her. Part of her couldn't help but enjoy the view, it wasn't every day she was able to see all of hell from this angle. That red really did look good from up here, not to mention she had a good look of the castle.

Honestly, it looked like an evil version of the Disney castle.

"There is no reason to be like that." The Crow cooed, before going in for a dive. Once again, she could hear him laugh when Kuro screamed, arms wrapped around anything she could get a hold of. From where she was looking, she could see the castle getting bigger, one balcony in particular.

"GOD DAMMIT, FUCK YOU!"

"I'll happily take that offer." The Crow muttered, one hand slipping to hold her waist, right as he touched down.

Once she felt the ground under her, she pushed the Crow away, nearly face planting as she kissed the ground, "Land, oh sweet shit, land!"

"There…Is a lot wrong with that sentence." Crow muttered, watching her attempt to hug the floor.

Kuro could feel the Crow's eyes on her, but ignored it, as she stood up, looking around. Her jaw dropped, as she rushed to the edge, holding onto the railing as she looked over, eyes wide. It was one thing to see a high view when you're being held by the waist by a demonic prince; it was another when you knew you wouldn't be dropped.

"Wow." Was all Kuro could mutter, as she took it all in, "I could honestly get use to this."

"I'm glad you can." Crow couldn't help but smile behind her, trying to snake his arm back around her waist.

To this, Kuro scowled, pushing his arm away, eyes narrowed, "…On second thought, I can get the same view from my place." She lied blatantly, giving him a look.

Crow laughed, before unlocking the balcony door, pushing it open, "Maybe this will help to change your mind?"

The last thing that Kuro wanted to do was submit to what the Crow wanted, but, at the same time, she couldn't help but be a bit curious. Shaking her head, she followed behind him, looking around him, before freezing, eyes wide.

The room, if she could call it that, was bigger than her own. Much bigger, as if she could fit Shax's bar in here. The walls were a bright red contrast to the obsidian brick that made up the exterior. With gold trims here and there, it really did look like a place that would house only the royalist of royals.

The walls were covered with interesting pieces of tapestry, the normal things like the

She couldn't help but jump right to the large double king-sized bed, rolling around on it. It wasn't her fault that the damn black and red sheets felt really nice, nor did the fact that the red pillows with a golden trim felt much better than her own bed, and she loved her bed.

All the while, the Crow watched her from the balcony door, a small smile on his face, before walking over to sit next to her, "Is it to your liking?"

"Shits great." Kuro admitted, before slapping his hand away when he tried to brush her hair out of the way, "Hey, off."

Crow shrugged, lying down next to her, "Do you like our room?"

The moment he said "our", the gravity of the situation decided to fall onto Kuro, as she shot up, "…OUR room?"

Crow nodded, once again getting a bit too close, "Yes, I asked for the best, and that is all I intent to ever give you."

"Whoa now, hold up." Kuro muttered, holding her forehead, before turning to give him a look, "Umm, I don't know how to say this without sounding like a bitch."

"Go on," Crow urged, slowly getting closer, "It is important to have a good connection, both emotional and verbal."

"I don't want to be with you." Kuro deadpanned.

Crow gave her a sort of awkward smile, "Well, if I am to give you the same honesty…"

Kuro yelped, as he pushed her down, kicking his leg over to straddle her, "Dude, no, get the fuck off!" Kuro screamed, face going red as she tried to push him off, only to have him hold her wrists down.

He smiled coyly, his face a big too close, before whispering into her ear…

"…I won't be giving you a choice."

The panic really didn't have time to process, so like any other normal chick, Kuro panicked, kicking her legs out. She caught him right in the pelvis, not hard enough to hurt too much, but bad enough for him to fall back.

Once he was off of her, Kuro booked it for the door, shaking the handle, only to groan, "Fuck, you thought this out."

She watched as the Crow stood back up, a hand still over his pelvis. She couldn't help but grin at that, back to the door, as she looked around, "Kitten, I really don't want to hurt you…"

To this, Kuro gave him a look, "And what are you gonna do?"

The Crow sighed, his eyes staring deep into hers, when pain shot up Kuro's hand. It was so sudden that she grabbed her hand, eyes going wide, before hissing, "Shit!"

"I told you I didn't want to." The Crow sighed, before walking over, "Let me see it."

"I think I can do this on my own." Kuro hissed, rubbing the fang marks, "Fuck, what did you do to it!?"

"I can explain it while I help you with it." He insisted, holding his hand out for hers, "Come on now, don't be so stubborn with me."

Finally giving in, she huffed, nearly slapping his hand when she did, "Want to explain the demonic rabies?"

"The…What?"

"Just tell me what you did to fuck up my hand."

"It is a…precaution." Crow muttered, his thumb rubbing over her hand, "Such smooth skin."

"Hey, please stop being a creep." Kuro groaned, wincing slightly when he began to kiss it, "the only reason I'm not back handing your face is because the pain is dimming down a bit."

"It is tradition, in a way, to mark your mate in such a manner," Crow stated as if it were a matter of fact, "Some say it is a territorial thing for demons of higher powers, but in all honesty, I can't help but mark what's mine~."

Kuro groaned, ripping her hand away once the pain was gone, giving him a look, "Stop."

"All I say is that I promise to treat you well." The Crow promised, trying to give her a loving smile, as he held his arms open for her, "Come here."

"Umm…Nah." Kuro laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head, before grabbing his hand for an awkward sort of handshake, "I'll go with this though."

"All good things come to those who wait." Crow mused, before going over to the dresser, opening it up, "It's only a matter of time before you fall in love with me."

"Right." Kuro muttered, itching at one of her ears, watching as he pulled a light green corset dress, laying it onto the bed.

"I have to go and speak with my father of your arrival and create an audience." Crow sighed, before looking to the clock over the vanity, "Before I leave, would you like something? I can call a maid to draw you a bath, possibly get you a book to read?"

"Thanks, but no thanks." Kuro grumbled, a childish pout on her face, as she sat on the bed, turning her back to him.

The Crow sighed, rubbing his forehead. Honestly, he had expected someone like her to react in such a way, but part of him wished that she could see he was trying, "I'll send a maid up to get you for dinner. Till then, Dearest."

Kuro nearly gagged at the nickname, turning to give him some smart-ass comment, only to feel his lips on her nose, giving her a soft kiss. Before she could slap him away, he pulled back, a small smirk on his face, "NEVER do that again, Bird-brain." She growled, watching as he laughed, before walking out.

Once the door was closed behind him, Kuro scowled at the dress, as if the Crow were still there

She had to admit, the dress didn't look half bad. It was just too weird, especially with the corset top and the rather skimpy skirt.

"Yeah, cause I'm going to looking fancy for the first time in my life." Kuro groaned, going into the vanity (she assumed it was for her, dude looked prideful but hopefully he hasn't resorted to using the mirror to apply make-up), grinning when she opened up the vanity drawer and found a pair of scissors under all of the random ribbons and spare stripes of different colored clothes.

"I'll wear the dress, Bird-brain, but I'm going to do this MY way."

* * *

"What do you mean we're not doing anything about it!?"

"Maybe you'd hear me better if you'd stop shouting and backed away from the door." Vale groaned, "You don't know if they're still outside."

Zagan scowled, stomping back over like a child, before taking a seat, slamming his glass onto the counter, "Don't lie, the tiny tiger is just scared."

Vale growled, "Do not play that card on me."

"Then pretend you care for a second, so we can get Kuro back!" Zagan continued to shout.

"Do you think that I don't want to get Kuro out of that hellhole!?" Vale finally snapped, giving the much bigger Zagan a look, as he shot out of his seat. Even with Zagan sitting down, the scorpion demon was still much taller and bigger, "I know what happens in there, especially for those chosen."

"Then get your head out of your ass and help." Zagan said through closed teeth.

"No."

The two looked over to Shax, who had been silent ever since the last of the guards left. His expression, such as most times, was near unreadable, apart from a sort of irritated fire in his eyes.

Zagan laughed without humor, "You can't honestly be taking Vale's side, this is Kuro we're talking about!"

"I too am worried about her welfare," Shax murmured, sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Do not jump to the assumption that we don't care about her. She is an important part to this team."

"Wow," Zagan deadpanned, "You really don't know how to show emotion."

"But, with that said, we must bide our time," Shax went on, "They just finished dragging her in, it will be hardest to drag her out while she is still freshly printed into so many minds. Word travels fast down here."

"And knowing Kuro, she is currently in the process of making her name big." Vale pointed out.

"We are not going to give up on her," Shax insisted, before shaking his head, "I'll be right back, I need to go and make a few calls."

Zagan gave him a look as he walked to the back, "Wasn't aware that the introvert bartender had other friends."

"Business partners." Shax muttered, before pulling up a paper, "I might not be able to drag Abraxas down here, but at the very least I can try and get a message through to him."

"Make sure to tell him about the whole surface smuggling thing." Vale threw in, taking another sip from his drink, trying to ignore the irritated look that Zagan would throw him, "Not that it will stop him, but he should at least know the change in the law."

"Honestly, I don't think that anything can hold Abraxas down," Zagan muttered, "Especially the law."

"Either way, we need him here, eventually." Shax sighed, before disappearing into the back, "If anyone can get someone in and out of a place, it's Abraxas."

* * *

 **Part of the reason that this took so long was because of all the research that went into it.**

 **From "What is the demon sword in Black butler made out of?" to "Top ten things cats hate", a lot of work, time and effort went into this. I don't like non-consistency, which is kinda hypocritical since I do that a bit much.**

 **You know, like all the time.**

 **With that said, I'm only now putting everything into a real life timeline, and even if some stuff doesn't add up, I'm still going with it.**

 **While that makes little to no sense, you'll get it later on.**

 **Kuro: Just end the chapter already, I'm too tired to-Zzzzz**

 **Me: (0_0) Okay then.**

 **Well, hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll see you next chapter!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	4. His Fair Lady, only the finest

**Hi hi!**

 **I don't really got much to say, so let's just stop wasting time.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this the one who left the message?"

"Yes, that is I."

"We can get you a direct link to Abraxas."

"If you'd please."

"It'll…cost you."

"…I'm sorry, who is this?"

"Umm, Jinn."

"Hmm…Jinn, do you know who you are speaking to?"

"Should I care?"

"You should care when you're speaking with someone of my caliber, trust me."

"Hey, watch your tone; I know some powerful people."

"And I work with the Nightwatcher."

"…You're bluffing, he isn't real."

"She'll be fairly mad that you got her gender wrong, but possibly a lot happier once I put you on her list-."

"Okay, fine, I'll get you that link!"

"Thank you for your service."

* * *

The minute she finished with the dress, a knock came to the door, "I swear, if it's you-."

"May I come in, Miss?"

Kuro jumped at the voice, not only because it was a female, but it also sounded like…like a child, "Umm, yeah, sure."

The door was pushed open, before a little girl popped her head in. She looked no older then maybe 10,000 at most, with long lavender hair and large soft cerulean eyes.

Much too innocent to be a demon.

She walked in, trying to fix her white dress, before closing the door behind her, bowing, "Hello Miss, the Crow Prince has assigned me to be your personal maid. My name is Vanth."

Kuro couldn't help but scowl, how could someone make a little girl like this work in a place like this?

Normally, Kuro didn't like kids. A lot of the kids in the Rift grow up into rotten demons, not that the Rift can do much more for them. Most become thieves, druggies, hookers; while the rest die off from the unnatural conditions that they can't adopt to.

The girl walked over, a kind yet shy smile on her face, before gesturing to the stool to the vanity, "Could you sit down, Miss? I can do your hair for you; however you wish."

"…Yeah, yeah sure." Kuro muttered, taking a seat, before murmuring, "Don't call me Miss, Kuro is just fine."

The girl's eyes widening a bit, before nodding respectively, "O-okay, Kuro it is."

Kuro couldn't help but hold a smile. She never thought that a child could have manners like that.

Just what are they doing to her?

"How would you like y-your hair, Kuro?" Vanth asked.

Kuro shrugged, not really caring, "However you'd like, surprise me."

The girl nodded, getting right to work, all while humming a little tune to herself. All the while, Kuro couldn't help but wonder a bit, and if this girl did work as a maid…

"Hey, what do you know of the Princes?" Kuro asked, half hoping to fill in the empty time while also learning a bit about the place.

"Well…I'm sure that you understand the whole 'choosing ceremony' and 'Prince of hell' thing, right?" Vanth asked softly, beginning her braid from her left, weaving it to fit into place alongside her head.

"Yeah," Kuro said casually, leaning back, "But…What about the temperament of these guys?"

"I'm…sorry?"

"Sorry, my neighbor was a guy that used big words like that," Kuro sighed, about to scratch the back of her head, only to remember that she was kinda getting her hair done, "Just…can you explain the Crow Prince to me?"

Vanth took some time to think, before whispering, "Promise not to tell?"

"Pinky swear." Kuro insisted, only to sigh when Vanth seemed confused, "Yeah, I won't tell."

"He can be kinda scary at times." Vanth murmured, before shrugging, "Then again, he's a son of Satan."

"Tell me about it." Kuro shuddered. She'd made many snide comments about their king, but it always did bother her in the back of her mind that maybe, just maybe, he had been able to somehow hear her and what she had to say.

"B-but I'm sure he can be very kind," Vanth insisted, braiding the right side, slowly forming a sort of crown on her head, "I won't lie, he does look nice, but…"

"But what?" Kuro pressed, suddenly interested.

Vanth looked around, as if someone would hear her, before whispering, "He and his brother do NOT like each other. They'll fight often, but it's the mental fights they have that are the worse."

"Sibling rivalry?" Kuro grinned, "Don't worry, I've seen that before."

"But not on this level." Vanth said softly to herself, before pulling away, "Do you like it?"

Kuro couldn't help but feel impressed with the braided crown upon her head, she even managed to make it so that her ears would perk up right above, "It's great."

Vanth then backed up, bowing, "Would you like some help with the dress?"

"Nah," Kuro shot her a knowing grin, "I think I'll be able to get it on."

"Are you sure?" Vanth asked, head tilted to the side, "The Crow prince gave very strict orders as to help you in anyway, I was ordered to also escort you to the dining room."

"I can get the 'dress' on." Kuro grinned, before shooing the girl out, "Now, you wait out here while I change. When I come out, will you show me the way?"

Vanth nodded, before walking for the door, "If that is what you'd like me to do."

Kuro flashed the kid a smile, making sure she closed the door behind her, before grinning, walking over to the bed, tossing to covers to reveal the 'dress' underneath.

At least, what was left of it.

Sir Beaks-a-lot could play the power card all he liked. No matter the order, no matter the demand, if there was a loophole, she'd take it.

"Go ahead and try to leash me." Kuro grinned, slipping on what was left after she had fun with the scissors, "No one said that I'd listen."

* * *

"What do you want?"

Corvus grinned at the head of the table, his fingers folded to hold his chin, before gesturing to the open seat at his left, "Is it wrong to ask my brother to dinner for some…family time?"

"It's never been that easy." Arc growled, unsure if he wanted to take the seat, "It'll never be that easy with someone like you."

"Is it wrong to want to share a perfect moment with my perfect brother?"

"DO not try to play me, Corvus." Arc growled, taking a step forth, nearly losing his cool. There wasn't much that could spark ANYTHING within the cold-blooded demon, but his brother was one of the only matches to his fuse of anger, "I am not another one of those low life demons that you have wrapped around your fingers."

"That's what they all believe at first." Corvus smirked, "Now come, sit with me. I'll have the chefs make something good enough for even your taste."

Arce gave him a look, before taking a seat, keeping an eye on his rather sinister brother. There was always some other step behind the Crow's eye, always something else on his mind.

What kind of game was he trying to play?

Once he took a seat, a feeble little maid walked into the doorway, fiddling with the bottom of her slightly dirty white dress, "Prince Crow, I am…pleased to announce her arrival."

Arc watched as Corvus' grin seemed to grow, just a bit, before turning to face him, "It was hard to choose from the multitude of women; many were devoted to me from the very beginning."

"Even more were simply trying to marry into power." Arc countered.

"With that said," Corvus continued, as if Arc had said nothing, "I wanted you to be the first to meet my mate."

What Arc saw wasn't something he'd expected.

He refused to acknowledge the fact that his breathing took a small hitch when she walked in. But, with that said, he wasn't sure if it was because of the person or because of what she was wearing.

If he could, Arc would have laughed at the expression Corvus wore. She wore what looked to be a short light teal skirt with the same color pants underneath, with messy white stitching to hold it all together. Her shirt was more of a vest, but if Arc were honest, it looked like a corset that had been ripped down the front, like a provocative vest with no shirt underneath.

All in all, it looked like she'd ripped up a dress to make something else out of it. It was slightly skimpy, roughly and rather badly stitched together, not to mention the color did not match her.

He liked it.

Corvus had a similar reaction, just a bit more outspoken. Arc noticed the slight eye twitch, the small half frown that had been on his face for half a second. Finally, the Crow cleared his throat, "Aranea, please do meet my soon-to-be, Kuro."

Kuro's eyes flickered with a bit of recognition, before a wide grin spread across her face, hand held out, "My dude! What's good?"

Arc gave Kuro's hand a look, head tilted to the side. Was this a way of saying hello in a lower class?

Sighing, Kuro leaned over the table to grab his wrist, before slapping it to her own, "It's called a high five, buddy." Kuro grinned, before taking the only other seat, "I'd greet you with a fist bump, but I didn't want you to think I was about to punch you in the face."

Once she was seated, Corvus cleared his throat, a sort of sinister smile on his face for just a second, "Ah, you're both already acquainted?"

Eyes narrowing, Arc could see where his brother was going with this, before nearly growling, "To a point."

"Don't matter," Kuro grinned, before propping her feet up on the table. Arc couldn't help but gag, everything she did, from her posture to the way that she spoke, it all screamed "Filthy casual". It was foreign, it was slightly sick, and (he won't lie) it was very commoner-like.

He couldn't help but be a bit more intrigued.

Vanth then came back in, pushing in a sort of dinner cart, three covered plates on top. The aroma was one that only a high class of demon would know, which explained why Kuro's nose twitched when a plate was put in front of her.

She poked at it rather suspiciously, giving the Crow a look, "…You planning to poison me?"

"Dearest, I would never," Corvus insisted with a voice much too sweet to belong to him, "The castle will only service my princess the finest."

"Never call me that again." Kuro growled, before lifting the top up a bit with her fork, eyes narrowed, only to widen.

It wasn't the look of the food, hell, she didn't even know what it was. But, no one could fake that light blue glow that seemed to come off on it, almost as if you could see the smell of something good.

Mouth-watering slightly, Kuro poked it, "Is…Is that…A soul?"

"A common one, if I may say." Arc pointed out rather childishly, "Rather…overcooked, Corvus."

"I said my princess would get the best, not you." The Crow shot right back, putting a napkin onto his lap.

Meanwhile, Kuro continued to poke at her food, confused. Arc took note of it, tilting his head to the side, "Are you alright?"

"…How do you eat this?" Kuro asked rather sheepishly.

To this, Corvus stopped what he was doing, "Kitten, have you never eaten a soul?"

"I have!" Kuro insisted, "It's just…It's been a while. Normally I just eat it raw."

To this, Arc shuddered. That was rather barbaric, if anything, "How?"

"Close your eyes and swallow, duh." Kuro shuddered, before pushing the plate away, "I can't eat this."

Corvus looked ready to stand up, "Is there something wrong with it? I can get someone to make it to your liking-."

"It's not that," Kuro sighed, before pushing out her seat, standing up. She dusted off her makeshift outfit, "It's just too…fancy for me. I've been living off of grime and muck for years, I'm not about to let your rich bitch food ruin my tastes."

Arc couldn't help but be a bit astonished. It was no secret; a demon needed souls in order to live on. Not eating a soul would result into something the humans liked to call "starving". A demon would just wither away until nothing was left.

Corvus rose when Kuro walked for the doorway, "Allow me to-."

"Nah, I know the way back." Kuro insisted. Even Arc could tell that she wanted to spend the least amount of time she could with him, "Besides, you need to finish your dinner, Feather fuck."

With one last laugh, she was gone.

The silence that fell over the two lasted for what could have been ages, before Arc finally cleared his throat, "Feather fuck?"

"She has a…tendency to make nicknames for me." Corvus mused, before giving Arc a look, "But you already know that, don't you, 'Arc'?"

"Is that what all of this is about?" Arc shot back, rising from his seat. He would not take this, especially not from Corvus, "To think you're petty enough to go to such measures."

"And to think that you'd wait your turn." Corvus shot right back, also rising. Arc took pride, knowing that he was slightly taller, "You know better than to go and try to steal something from me."

"To steal something from you?" Arc nearly growled, "I did nothing of the sort! You're just being a child because you chose someone who doesn't want to appease you, for once. But we both know that's not the only reason."

"Is someone getting jealous?" Corvus taunted.

"Does someone want me to be?" Arc shot right back.

"Not that it matters to me," Corvus finally sighed, relaxing with an evil grin on his face, "In the end, she will be mine."

"But she won't want to be."

"What do you know of what a woman would want?"

"She's no woman, nor is she a lady." Arc said, his voice coming off a bit more than a murmur, "With that said, I still understand her more than you'll ever try to."

"Either way, she'll be mine." Corvus' eyes flashed, a grin stretching as Arc's grip tightened on the table's edge, "it bothers you, doesn't it?"

"Of course not." Arc said through closed teeth, before giving the Crow a rather demented grin right back, "She might be yours, but I hold something that you don't, and I know it."

"And what is that?"

"As small and new as it might be, I have her trust."

"All you had to do was leave." Corvus said, looking rather irritated, and yet, he kept his composure.

"All you had to do was grow up, out of this petty shell." Arc shot right back.

Arc had to take a seat once the Crow left, desperately needing a breather, only to grin.

Finally, a challenge.

* * *

Corvus sighed, leaning back against the wall, one hand on his head while the other was over his chest.

While it hadn't been a while since their last fight, this one had been a bit more…intense.

Regardless, it was something new, something to spice up his rather boring days of luxury.

Finally, a challenge.

* * *

"Yo? Who be here?"

"Shax."

"…Hey, Shax, buddy! How's it been?"

"Business as always; it would be easier if you decided to drop by and do your job."

"Heh, sorry about that, it's just that…there's so much up here to do!"

"Abraxas, surface smuggling is illegal."

"That just makes it that much sweeter."

"I don't care what you do, I don't care if you get caught; but as your big brother I expect you to get back down here now."

"And if I don't want to?"

"Abraxas, it's Kuro."

"Aww, how's my baby been?"

"…Never call her that again."

"Aww, but Kuro's so-."

"She was chosen."

"…I'm sorry?"

"She was chosen as the next bride of the Crow Prince."

"…I'll be down in a few minutes."

"About time you learn to listen."

"Shut up, big bro."


	5. His Fair Lady, Conflicted

**Hi hi!**

 **I'm getting a lot more support on this story then I originally thought I'd get, so thanks to all you reviewers, followers and favs out there!**

 **If we can hit fifty reviews, I will be giving away Kuro t-shirts!**

 **Amy: You barely have enough money for lunch, how you gonna make products to give away?**

 **Me: I don't know, it's Kuro's story, so it's Kuro's problem.**

 **Kuro: Dude, don't even. I've got enough shit to deal with here.**

 **Me:...Okay...In that case, no shirts. Not like I have the artistic talent anyway.**

 **Oh, that leads me into my next thingy; I can't draw. So if someone would like to draw a sort of fan art cover for this story, please be sure to PM me and, if you're okay with it, I'll use it as the cover image for this story!**

 **Lilith: That's more then a lot of your stories get.**

 **Azazel: Well at least you're decently remembered!**

 **Miu: I'm sure p-people remember a-a-and like you.**

 **Katrina: Apparently people know me, I just don't get updated anymore...**

 **Nyx: Well tell me now, were any of you canceled?**

 **Amy: Nope, 47 chapters of awesome typos baby!**

 **Me:...This is why I don't do author's notes with you guys anymore...**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

When Kuro walked back into the room, the first thing she did was striped. Believe it or not, that outfit still managed to make her look…Eww.

Sighing, Kuro looked through her closet, thanking anything and everything that there was a nightgown. Not that she was much of a fan of the clothing to begin with, but still, it was better than only underwear.

Sighing, Kuro slipped it on, before sitting at the vanity, starring herself down as she pulled the pins that held her braided crown together.

In her head, she'd yet to really go through her situation. Minding her ears, she finally get her hair to fall down as if would have normally, sighing when it looked a bit straighter than before.

All the while, her mind was screaming. It broke into many different parts. One was irritated, beyond doubt. It wanted to find that damned Crow and punt him so damn hard he finds his way to heaven.

Another wanted to play this game. Kuro Akuhei was no loser, no sir. It took more than pretty words and a nice title to take out a demon like her.

If violence wasn't the answer, then surely utter humiliation, teasing and irritation would do the trick. Her imagination took her to a place where she'd be kicked out and forgotten, heck, maybe even hated by others.

Oh, would she love that. To just go back to her old life. To just chill at Shax's place in the day and go to work at night. Complain about the shitty food afterwards, before going to sleep to begin the cycle all over again.

Grinning, Kuro stood up, a sort of determined glint in her eyes; thank God this part of her was the mask over all else.

One last emotion, however, was screaming and crying, her life of freedom over. Not only was she now weighed down, but now she had iron shackles.

Everything would now be dictated by the likes of a PRINCE. Nothing would be a secret once he found out, unless it would bring him down. There was a big chance that she was nothing more than a pawn, a pretty face to gain more in his quest of more.

Pushing that part of it aside, Kuro grabbed a few pillows from the bed, not that he'd notice to be honest. With a groan, she'd continuously pull her nightgown down, a frown on her face. Maybe this thing wasn't much of a good idea after all. How she wished for her own bed, her own clothes, her own room.

With that thought, she wondered if things could ever go back to what it once was. She couldn't help but imagine that all of today was nothing more than a bad dream. She'd wake up in her bed, do her usual yawn and stretch, before going to fall onto her spot on the floor.

As it should be.

She froze when the door opened, only to scowl when the Crow poked his head in, "Are you changing, Dearest?"

"Would it stop you from walking in?" Kuro countered, as he walked in, closing the door behind him.

She watched as he frowned at the nest she was making on the floor, "By my command, I can have your personal maid come in and-."

"You know what, I wanted to ask about that." Kuro cut in, throwing down a large blanket, before turning to face him, eyes full of fire, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"…I beg a pardon?"

"I won't lie, I'm not too fond of kids," Kuro ranted, slowly getting angrier. Maybe it was because she really didn't like the Crow, maybe it was all the pent-up rage from the day, or maybe this Vanth kid didn't seem as bad as every other kid from Rift.

Take it how you would, Kuro was pretty irritated.

Meanwhile, Corvus stood there, confused, "…If this is about our children-."

"What!? No!" Kuro growled, before walking up to him, poking his chest, "Not with you, not in a million years; especially when you make a child work as a maid!"

To that, the Crow sighed, gesturing to the bedding on the floor, "Is that what this is all about?"

"No, but it is still a part!" Kuro growled, pushing him back, "I'm not a handicap, I don't need someone to constantly wait on me! Especially a little girl!"

"Someone does not know how things work around here." Corvus sighed, flicking her hand away, "Could you please calm down? Then we can speak of whatever is on your mind."

"Or what?" Kuro hissed, "What will you do? Kick me out? Fuck up my hand even more?"

"Trust me when I say I don't want to." Corvus growled lowly, slowly getting more and more irritated.

Kuro could read the irritation clear as day, before pushing him, "Do it then. Hit me, yell at me, kick me out; I don't care! Fuck, I could do a lot better out there then here!"

For two seconds, Kuro swore that she saw him snap. She swore he was about to yell, throw something, hit her, something. But he took a deep breath in, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "…Why must you put up such a fight?"

"Sorry, I tend to do that." Kuro deadpanned, before growling, "Look, I'm tired, you're obviously tired of my bullshit." She held her head, trying to come down from the high.

The Crow also took a moment to calm down, shaking his head, "Must you always be this senseless?"

"Hey, don't even dude." Kuro said, half-growling half-yawning, "I just calmed down; and frankly, I have enough common sense not to punch my new…'beloved' in the face." She made a face at the gross B-word.

"I promise I will do all I can to gain your affection." Corvus insisted, trying to go in for a hug from the back, only to have Kuro move at the last second, pushing him away.

"Let's get something straight here, my buddy bird brain." Kuro grumbled, "You can do what you want whenever you want, but don't expect me to fall to my knees and kiss your ass because you've got money and power."

And with that said, she nestled down into her blanket burrow, going on to ignore him in her sleep.

* * *

Corvus took a moment to excuse himself to the bathroom, making sure the door was closed and locked, before holding his head.

He was used to a life of getting what he wanted; he wasn't sure how to take this.

Sure, it was something new, exciting even. He had little to no doubt in his ability to get what he wanted. It was just that this might take a bit…longer.

She had the resolve of steel, unwilling to give in as long as she was held together. It crossed his mind to break her, own her out of fear, but he wasn't willing to do that just yet.

While he wasn't quite infatuated yet, he did like her to a point. She was fairly fun to be around, when you weren't the butt of her joke. But even then, she had that sort of…air to her.

It was near impossible to be irritated with her, no matter what she did.

With that, Corvus grinned to himself. She could try all she wanted, Corvus already had his prize.

But with that said, another problem arose. It could seem similar to what the humans called a sort of "drama", not that he didn't want that. He'd read books that spoke of the forsaken love triangle, and he had to admit, a lot of what he had done was based off of what he read.

He had to remember to thank his brother for being so easily destroyed, and by the hand of a common demon girl, no less. Not that he was any better; he was falling for her as well. But, there was one big difference.

He had the girl, and all Aranea had were lost wishes and broken dreams.

Now all he had to do was drive the point home.

* * *

Vale opened the door before the newcomer had a chance to knock, "You're late."

"I'm never late," the new guy grinned, ruffling his own hair to try and fix it, hot pink eyes shining with his grin, "You're all just early." With that grin, two red panda ears twitched, before being covered by his hood.

"Well, in that case, why doesn't my fist just 'end up early' to your ass?" Zagan growled, not getting up from his chair, fully knowing what would happen if he were to stand.

The new guy wore a dark blue hoodie over a white t-shirt, with loose and baggy black pants. The guy walked with a sort of personal swag, as if he thought he was cool when really he just looked like a glorified jackass, "Zagan! You haven't changed a bit!"

"If you start a fight with the muscle, please take it outside." The voice made the newcomer flinch for just a second, as Shax seemed to appear from behind him, emotion as outgoing as it would ever be, the cold line of a mouth a nice "new" touch, "Not to mention that I will not do anything to help this time around, Abraxas."

Said demon laughed, "Help? Last time old Zig-Zag beat the snot out of me, all you did was give me a cup of water afterwards!"

"You expect more from me?"

Abraxas cackled, slapping Shax in the back, "I love you too, big bro!"

From this, Vale scowled, still leaning on the door, "Can we please move to the task at hand?"

Shax nodded, walking over to stand in his usual spot behind his counter, Abraxas sitting right in front of him, "You know why you are here, correct?"

"Because some big shot demon thought that they could just whisk Kuro away?" Abraxas growled lightly, "We're breaking her out, right?"

"…In time."

"Hold up, is that not our first order of business!?" Abraxas exploded, before grabbing the collar of Shax's expensive shirt. All the while, the older brother side, it would take awhile but he would calm down.

In time.

"We will get to it," Vale insisted from the door, peeking out the closed blinds to make sure no one was outside, before finally walking back to the bar counter, "We just have other things to deal with for now."

"Like what!?" Abraxas screamed, whipping his head around to face the much taller demon. Abraxas had the "small dog" mindset; small and bossy.

"Like keeping this place," Shax grumbled, flicking Abraxas' hands off, "Thanks to business, we have to attain more money through jobs, and since our sniper is gone-."

"-You expect me to fill in, huh?" Abraxas grinned humorlessly, shaking his head, "Ever wonder why I left?"

"Ever wonder why she stayed?" Shax sighed, "She did it to cover your ass, so you could do whatever you wanted; and this is how you help her?"

"I don't want to stay here and plan!" Abraxas shouted right back, "I want to get out and get her! I want to make sure that they don't do anything to her!"

"Says the queer that booked it once Kuro finally filled in for you," Zagan growled, the glass cup in his grip shattering, "I still don't understand what she sees in you."

"Well I'll say this she doesn't see a huge meat shield with a brain smaller than my pinky nail!" Abraxas screamed right back, moving in on him. All the while, Shax checked the clock every now and then, a few more minutes and he'd reach a new record.

"Out of everything you taught Kuro, thank God you didn't teach her how to insult." Zagan said, for once level headed. While no one was too fond of Shax's younger brother, they all knew that the fox demon would step in if it became too much.

"Just be happy that I've got some control on me!" Abraxas growled, his volume only rising, as Vale sat off to the side, looking over papers while sipping his drink. He was smart enough to stay out of it, "Kuro isn't here to hold me back!"

"Like Kuro would stop me from beating you senseless." Zagan growled, finally standing up, "If anything, go right ahead and swing, you don't have Kuro to hold you back or help you out."

It was at this point that Shax decided to intervene, as Zagan's hand slowly traveled down to his belt, gripping a dagger handle, "If you both would be so kind as to stop being a child, so we can get something done here?"

"Finally, a voice of reason." Vale muttered, finally taking a seat with the other two, facing Shax who picked up a glass and began to wipe it down, "Yes, Abraxas, one of the main reasons we called you in was so that you could fill in for Kuro."

"…Valefor, you son of a bitch-."

"Don't worry, it will be temporary." Vale said, sighing with relief, "But, while you fill in for Kuro, we will also be forming a plan, something, to get Kuro out of there; even if it be for a day."

To this, Abraxas finally calmed down, relaxing back into his chair, before a familiar grin lit up his face, "Why didn't you just start with that?"

"We tried." Shax deadpanned, before nodding to Vale, who tossed his papers onto the counter.

"I have a good friend of mine that works in the guard," Vale said, "He owes me for a few favors; he can get me in and out, but only me."

"And where do you plan to go from there?" Abraxas questioned, leaning forth for his pink eyes to bore into the tiger demon's.

"Knowing Kuro, she's already trying to get out," Shax noted, "Not to mention that she'll probably have eyes on her if she isn't with the Crow prince."

"My thoughts exactly." Vale hummed, looking decently happy for once, "So, this is what we will go for…"

* * *

 **Sorry if this felt like a filler chapter, it's gonna take a bit of time for anything to really happen, so I have to lay down all the ground work first.**

 **It's been a while since I wrote a quirky character like Kuro, and if I'm honest, it's a nice blast from the past. She's similar to Amy and Erin, that same happy-go-lucky character, with a nasty vocabulary and a whole lot of comebacks.**

 **One of the main tropes I like about Kuro is when she makes references to what the humans like. I know back then they didn't have video games, which is my opinion makes the story a bit more meta, since no one else but the reader knows what she's talking about. (Story of my life, tbh)**

 **Another is the lazy I-don't-give attitude. While it's hard to work in at times, I try to make it so that she's constantly jumping from one emotion to another, so she can go from being too lazy to get up to being pumped up for a fight for no real reason.**

 **I'll stop dragging this one now so we can end. Hope you guys liked it, I'll cya next chapter!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	6. His Fair Lady, A Raconteur

**Amy: Shit, where Crimson be at?**

 **Lilith: Not here, obviously.**

 **Amy: Oh, thank you Captain Obvious.**

 **Erin: You know what this means.**

 **Kuro: *Yawns* what does it mean?**

 **Miu: W-we get to d-do the author's notes.**

 **Kuro: Crap, more work for us?**

 **Lilith: If you want to get into the meta phase of this, it's technically Crimson wasting more time, typing out lines that we'd say from beyond the fourth wall, all so that we can "do all the work", even if it is just her wasting more time on an author's note that no one will really take the time to read.**

 **Kuro:...Dude...Calm down...**

 **Amy: Don't bother, she's always like this.**

 **Azazel: Be happy, normally Lilith is a lot more irritate then this.**

 **Kuro: Irritate how?**

 **Azazel: Like, "Raging-woman-on-period" doesn't even come close irritate. She's just at "Emo-kid-questioning-life-in-a-meta-way" right now.**

 **Lilith:...**

 **Kuro: Meh, I've seen worse. Nothing scarier then an angry drunk Zagan going on rampage. Nothing funnier either.**

 **Azazel: I'm sure we can top that here.**

 **Kuro: that's a bet that I'm wiling to take. You know, once I get cash.**

 **Azazel: Broke?**

 **Kuro: Yeah, too lazy to bother.**

 **Amy: Can't blame you.**

 **Azazel: Hey, butt out, this is the most I've spoken since my story!**

 **Lilith: Well, in that case, we should proceed in proper Crimson conduct.**

 **Azazel: Which is?**

 **Erin: To cut you off mid-sentence of course!**

 **Azazel: Aww hell naw-**

* * *

 _Nothing but black._

 _Kuro sighed, happily enjoying the feeling of flying through this darkened space. It was a lot better than the morning fires of hell; damn did those get irritating._

 _Here there was only her, and you could call her an introvert all you liked, being alone was the best._

 _And yet, something felt…wrong. Off, even._

 _For once in her dream world, she felt watched, similarly to how she felt when she was awake…_

 _…Wait a moment…_

 _She felt as if she was missing something, causing her to back up, looking around. Maybe she'd missed something?_

 _Kuro yelped when she tripped back on something, landing on something rather plush, with familiar sheets…_

 _Struggling to get up from the bed, she felt some sort of force hold down her arms and legs, keeping her rather still. Even then she tried against it with no luck. She forced her eyes shut, breathing in and out deeply. It's okay, this was all in her head, all she had to do was wake up…_

 _…Any moment now…_

 _"…Aww shit, who's breathing over me?"_

 _Her eyes snapped open, only to wish that they'd remained shut, as two wine red eyes stared deeply into her own._

 _"Such a pretty little thing." The Crow's voice sounded a bit indistinct, as if she were hearing him speak through a pillow. Before Kuro could bite back with some sort of witty remark, she jumped at the sudden feeling of warm hands on her abdomen._

 _"Out of everything, my head decides to have a rape dream." Kuro grumbled, trying to knee him, only to feel nothing._

 _The panic slowly began to creep in, as the dream went on. Normally she could wake up on command, but now…_

 _Her thoughts were thrown off when a pair of lips pressed against her own, causing her to silently scream. She wasn't used to this, what was going on here!?_

 _"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" She heard him murmur into her neck, as a hand slowly lifted the bottom of her nightgown._

 _"Hey, get your hand out of my-AH!" Kuro yelped, nails pinching her thighs. She was already out of her comfort zone; this was the far beyond._

 _"You're beyond perfection, darling," She swore she could feel his warm breath right up against her ear, "Why won't you give into me? I can make you happy~."_

* * *

Kuro woke up kicking, screaming, and flailing.

"Mmm, good morning to you as well, Kitten."

"Fuck, dude!" Kuro shrieked, quickly getting up from the nest she'd created for herself, "I slept on the floor for a reason!"

"And I decided to sleep next to you for a reason." Corvus shrugged, slowly rising from the nest. Kuro couldn't help but laugh a bit, seeing the Crow rise from a nest, only to shake her head. She was mad at him, remember to be mad at him!

Kuro ignored him, as he threw the bedding back up onto the bed, before looking down disgustedly at the nightgown, "Can we get something else for me to wear?"

He nodded, before taking her hand, walking her over to the dresser, "I'm sure you'll find something to your liking."

Kuro scowled, ripping her hand away, "No, I meant something casual."

"Surely I can find you a casual dress." He insisted, looking through the dresser, before moving on to the closet, opening it up before pulling out a rather fancy yellow dress, "What about this?"

Kuro made a face, "Looks like an over the top canary yellow dress of some over the top prestigious high school." She sighed, before running a hand through her hair, ears twitching, "Look, Crow-."

"Corvus."

"…Huh?" Was all Kuro managed, thrown off by the sudden…Well, everything.

The Crow Prince shot her a small smile, "Just Corvus is okay. We are alone, you don't have to call me by my title, Kitten."

"Then why do you call me Kitten?" Kuro shot right back, "Is that not a title?"

"It's not a title," Corvus rebutted, "It's a cute nickname for my Dearest; a pet name."

Kuro shuddered at the way he said "Pet", she wasn't sure if he meant it to sound as demeaning as it came out or not.

"…Corvus…Wow, I'm not use to saying your name…" Kuro muttered, the name feeling foreign in her mouth, before nodding, "Okay then, Corvus; could we go clothes shopping one day?"

"Yes, of course." He insisted, while Kuro questioned wearing one of the window drapes, "I know the owner of a boutique not too far away from here."

"No, I mean a normal clothing store?" Kuro questioned, gagging a bit, Before, she'd do anything to avoid the large crowds of people who take forever to find out their own clothing sizes. She remembered when Abraxas took her there and "lost her" in a shop like that.

Still one of the most traumatic moments in her life.

"Mmm…If you insist." Corvus sighed, shrugging, "But, if you don't feel like going out, we do have an on-staff seamstress."

"…I'll think about that, later." Kuro insisted, before looking through her dresser, "Hey, do you know where my clothes are?"

"Are those not your size?"

Kuro gave him a look, "You know exactly what I mean. Where is my hoodie?"

"I do believe that it is being washed as we speak," Corvus murmured, pulling out his pocket watch, before sighing, shaking his head, "I'll bring it to you when I get back."

"That would be-wait, get back?" Kuro questioned, confused.

"I am scheduled to have a meet with my father." Corvus said, his tone more bored then anxious; such as any other demon would be upon realizing that they had a one-on-one with Satan.

"Oh…well…Have fun with that…" Kuro muttered. She'd done a lot that goes against the hellish way. At the moment, she'd rather not have anything to do with Lucifer himself.

That was a can of worms she never wished to open.

Kuro watched as he walked over to his own closet, before looking it over, "…Kitten, if you'd be so kind as to come over?"

While Kuro wanted nothing to do with him, her curiosity ruled over, as she slowly but surely wandered over, "What?"

She helped him…stare into his closet to look at a bunch of suits that looked exactly the same, "Help me choose one."

"Umm…" Kuro mumbled, before pulling out two random suits, "They look exactly the same."

Corvus shrugged, "Go on and pick one for me then."

Kuro looked the two over, before tossing the one in her right hand to him, "Here."

"Mmm…I like it." Corvus concluded, before quickly taking off his night shirt.

"Dude, what the hell!?" Kuro shrieked, her face going red before covering her eyes. All she saw was a six pack that looked inhuman, and damn did they look good- OH FUCK, NO, NOT GOING DOWN THAT HOLE!

"Hmm? What's wrong, Dearest?" She heard, refusing to open her eyes, "Are you not enjoying the show~?"

"Yes, I mean no, I mean…Just put that damn thing on!" Kuro screamed, keeping her eyes shut. After all curiosity killed the cat, and at the moment, she wasn't into the idea of being satisfied.

"Aww, don't be like that. Look at me."

Kuro gave in, for only a second, only to squeak, covering her eyes, a red blush on her face, "Damnit, put some pants on!"

She heard a bit more rustling of clothes, before two lanky arms came up behind her, hugging her, "You're so cute when you get all shy like this~."

"And you're overstepping when you hug me with no shirt!" Kuro growled, pushing him back while averting her eyes, "Hurry up and get dressed, I don't think you'd want to keep the Wicked One waiting."

"There is no need to be so cold, Dearest." Corvus sighed, taking a few moments of silence, before poking her shoulder, "You can look now."

"How can I be so sure?"

Corvus huffed, "Darling, seriously; I'm decent."

"Guys can walk around without shirts and say they're decent."

"And what is wrong with seeing me without a shirt on? Do remember you're my mate; you'll see me with MUCH less on later~."

"Don't go there." Kuro moaned, taking a moment to peek out from behind her fingers, only to sigh, looking him over, "Seriously?"

"Whatever is wrong?" Corvus muttered, looking down at what he was wearing, "I am, as you'd put it, decent."

"Dude…even I can 'look decent' better then you can." Kuro sighed, before walking up to him, grabbing hold of his messed-up tie.

"Hmm, wasn't aware that Kitten could be so forward~."

Kuro bit down her slight disgust and discomfort, before untying it, "Have you ever dressed yourself before, Prince prick?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Corvus smirked, as she tied it correctly around his neck, "Not that it would matter, I still got you to put your hands on me."

Kuro growled, pulling the tie tighter, "Watch your mouth."

"Don't worry, I intend to watch more than just mine~."

Kuro pushed him towards the door, "Just shut up and get out of here."

"I love you too, Dearest." Corvus said, blowing her a kiss, before leaving out the door, making sure to close it behind him.

Once he was gone, Kuro shuddered, tongue stuck out in disgust. She'd be the last to lie; dude didn't look too bad. Honestly, with a sturdy build like that…

Kuro face planted into the bed, making sure that the blankets muffled her screams. She did not like him, nope, not one bit. She'd rather let her life go than like him.

Not that he was really giving her any other choices here.

Kuro threw a pillow at the door when a knock came, "GTFO Crow!"

"Umm, M-miss Kuro? I h-have breakfast, Prince C-Crow's orders."

Kuro growled at herself, before opening the door for the little girl, "Sorry 'bout that, Vanth. And stop calling me a Miss."

The little girl nodded, arms shaking under the weight of the large tray she was holding out in front of her, "W-where would y-y-you like me to put this down?"

"I got it." Kuro insisted, nearly tripping over her own feet, before carrying the tray off of her. Kuro couldn't help but laugh at Vanth who sighed with relief, before putting the tray down on the vanity, "…What is it?"

"I'm not sure." Vanth admitted, rubbing her hands together in an awkward fashion, "I'm a lowly servant; I'm not allowed to look under the cover."

"Well, I won't have any of that hierarchy shit." Kuro said, shaking her head, before backing up, "Here, you can open it up. I insist."

Vanth looked over the covert, almost scared, before nodding, reaching a shaking hand out to grab the cover, "O-o-okay, I will."

Vanth ripped the top away like she was ripping off a band aid, only to drop the cover to the floor, mouth-watering. Kuro couldn't help but enjoy the aroma, it wasn't one she was used to though. It was like taking a deep whiff of an expensive perfume. Vanth's eyes seemed to glow with the light blue light that came off of the plate, "I c-couldn't s-s-smell it e-earlier…"

"Umm, you okay, kid?" Kuro asked, concerned when her stomach began to rumble.

"I'm f-fine." Vanth gulped, as she backed away.

"Seriously, is something wrong? Is this shit poisoned? Dude, you gotta tell me." Kuro pushed, before it clicked. She grabbed the fork, before handing it to her, "Here."

"W-what are you doing!?"

"Summoning Jesus Christ." Kuro deadpanned.

"Y-Y-YOU'RE K-KIDDING ME, R-R-RIGHT!?"

"No shit." Kuro grinned, nudging the girl, "Come on, lighten up a bit; eat."

"I…I c-can't." Vanth said, fighting her hand, "I wasn't authorized to do so."

"Jeez, you need permission to eat?" Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "What else, need permission to sleep?"

"And to use the bathroom," Vanth said, listing it on her hand, "And to change clothing, and to shower-."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Kuro sighed, before forcing the fork into Vanth's grip, "In that case, eat, that's an order."

Vanth gulped, shaking her head, "N-no, I'd rather starve then make them angry."

"Then use me as a meat-shield." Kuro insisted, before pushing the tray in front of her, "Now go on, eat."

Vanth took one last sniffled breath, before digging in, eating like she'd never get another chance. While Kuro was admittedly a bit hungry, she could surely miss a meal for a kid that looks like she hasn't eaten in months, "T-thank you." Vanth whimpered in between bites, tearing into the food like it was her last meal.

"No problem, Vanth." Kuro insisted, smiling slightly to herself, only to growl. Just what did they force the work to do here anyway?

"Hey, Vanth."

"Y-yes?' She murmured, leaving the plate licked clean.

"What do they make you do here?"

"Oh, y-you know." She murmured, "I clean. They have me do laundry, clean the windows, cook food; I even get to play the piano when we have a small group of guests!"

"Wow they have you booked." Kuro muttered, rubbing the back of her head, "Lemme guess, that's not even a bit if what you do, is it?"

"No," She sighed, shaking her head, before she looked up at Kuro, eyes sparkling, "What do you do?"

"On the real?" Kuro said, thinking back. It didn't matter that Kuro liked the little girl, there was no good that would come out of saying "I'm a hired killer with a group of mine that does some dirty killing for some dirty cash" was never a good idea, not out in the open. So, with that said, Kuro grinned, "I'm too lazy to get a job."

Vanth tilted her head to the side, "then how do you live?"

"I do an odd job here and there." Kuro shrugged, "You know, check on this guy, do some work for that guy. Not to mention I've got a few friends to back me up when times get tough."

"Friends?" Vanth questioned.

To this, Kuro couldn't help but grin. This is something she can do, something to say, so she wasn't stuck waiting for that damn Crow to get back, "Kid, do I have a story or two or a lot to tell you…"

* * *

The Crow stopped right outside the door, making sure to fix his attire, before knocking.

 **"Allow him in."**

The door was pushed open by a familiar face, to which Corvus offered a small smile, "Marax."

"Prince Crow." He bowed respectively, moving to the side for him to enter, before stepping out, closing the door behind him.

Inside resided a rather long hall, with elegant seats running on both sides. Only two seats were occupied, the main throne and the chair to his right.

At the right-hand side, a figure shrouded in black sat, as if a black fire was still devouring the demon that looked stuck within. You could only just see the thin outline of something that just kept shifting with the flame-like cover.

To them both in respect, Corvus fell to one knee, "My Lord."

 **"Corvus, my son. You may rise."**

The figure seated on the throne insisted. He too was covered in black fumes, but the power and fear that radiated off of him was like no other. All that could be seen behind the raging black fire were two large shadows of wings behind him and two red lights for eyes.

 _"Someone looks battered."_ A collective hiss left the demon on the right, before looking to Satan, _"Am I needed for this talk?"_

 **"No, you are excused, Legion."** He insisted, to which the man, Legion, nodded, before standing, taking a bow to the both of them, before seemingly fading away into nothing, **"Now, as for you, my son, our discussion will not be as…simple."**

"Whatever you need done, my Lord." Corvus insisted.

 **"Then you can start by telling me about your choice. I've caught word of her; such an…exclusive demoness you've found. What of her name?"**

"She goes by Kuro."

 **"Then what of her real name?"**

"Apologies, Lord; Lilim Akuhei."

 **"A name I will not soon forget."** Satan mused, before leaning forward a bit, almost eager, **"And, how is she? Surely she knows how to act within the presence of a royal."**

"That is to be tested." Corvus admitted, sighing lightly.

To this, Satan tilted his head to the side, faking curious confusion, **"Oh? How so? Maybe I should order an audience with her…"**

"That will be unnecessary." Corvus assured, knowing a hidden threat from his father like the difference from day to night. It was a cruel way of breaking a lady in, as one of his older brothers put it once. He'd heard of what his father would force them through, of the trauma he'd cause and the changes that would be made to the chosen mate, never to be the same again.

He wasn't willing to put Kuro through that, even if she didn't listen at times.

 **"…If that is what you wish, my son."** The king of hell sighed, **"But if she becomes a problem, I will step in. With or without your permission."**

"Of course, My Lord." Corvus sighed. At least he knew where he got his pure stubbornness.

The dark figure then rose, the shadows of the screaming damned growing larger with him, **"I've heard talk of her; already she has become a very famous demon within these walls."**

To this, Corvus sighed. It was either Aranea or Vanth, and Aranea wasn't one to talk to the staff for no reason, "I will get to the bottom of it."

 **"From what I've heard, you've truly outdone yourself, son."** Satan mused, **"If my sources are correct, your mate is quite the looker."**

"Of that she most certainly is." Corvus couldn't help but sigh like a lovestruck teenager, only to shake his head. He had time for that later, he had to make a point first. The love part would surely come later, but right now, other things had to be made clear.

To this, Satan nodded, watching his son leave, **"Do remember, Corvus; If you cannot keep her in check, it is my duty to make sure a Prince of Hell has a suitable mate. Am I made clear?"**

"Crystal." Corvus managed through shut teeth, before walking out, pushing the throne room door closed behind him, shaking his head. If he wanted the prize, the main priority was to keep it close. But, if he wanted to win the fight, he'd have to dangle Kuro just within reach of Aranea, just to even bother to stay within the game.

But there was a cost. Maybe he was getting a bit too attached, or maybe it was getting harder and harder to keep his cool around her, but he was slowly growing a bit more possessive. But, then again, all his life he had been known to be easily desirous, not to mention that it was against his brother.

Corvus couldn't help but smirk lightly to himself. It had been a while since he'd played a game like this, especially with his "favorite" brother. There had been argument here and there, but other than that, nothing really worthwhile.

Thus, this game of two cats and a mouse had been the most fun he'd had in years. Call him deranged, but he and his brother had a way of things working. Walking down the grand stairs, he couldn't help but believe that he'd only met Kuro two days ago. It was only two days ago the card to win against Arc arrived at his doorstep.

"Corvus. A word."

To this, the Crow demon grinned. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Or, at the very least, you'd get one of his many sons.

"What can I do for you?"

"I know what you're playing at."

Corvus smirked, before turning around, gold verses wine red, "I'd hope so."

"This is a whole new low," Arc scowled, "Even for you."

"When has that ever mattered to do?" Corvus shot right back.

Arc remained silent for a moment, before whispering, "Do you even care for her?"

"…That has nothing to do with you." Corvus said, playing it off.

"That's it then? It's all just a sick game to you?' Arc murmured, his voice emotionless.

"When is it not?" Corvus smiled, "It's not like you care either."

"You don't know that." Arc shot right back, eyes betraying no emotion, "…Are you sure you want to start a game like this with me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Corvus grinned, arms spread out in that "come at me bro" fashion, "you and I both know that we have nothing better to do."

Corvus expected Aranea to growl, to shout, but for some reason, the sly smile on his face just made the idea of winning all the better, "In that case, I suppose I can't do much more than accept your challenge?"

"That seems to be where this is going, yes."

Arc threw his hand out, "Then may the best demon win."

Corvus grinned that sly shit eating grin right back, firmly shaking his hand, "May the best demon win, dear brother."

* * *

Marax sighed, standing guard outside of the walls, looking over the much darker sky of hell. It was nice in its own gruesome way. It was a dark red color, like freshly drawn blood.

Sighing, he let out a breath, heavy armor weighing him down with each huff, as he leaned on his battle axe. Every day, while it did give him a meaning, was the same thing. You wake up, and for every second for the rest of your life, you put your life on the line for you king, regardless.

Sighing, he looked over his blade, taking his time for once. How many have died by this blade? How many have died by his hands? Lævateinn was the only thing that could kill a demon without the help of the Lord above.

"Marax?"

Looking up, the lion guard smiled at his old friend, "It's been a long time."

"A long time indeed." Marax nodded, "How has life treated you, Valefor?"

"Simple and repetitive, if anything." Vale sighed, shrugging before pulling something out of his pocket, a cigarette box, "Would you like one?"

Marax nodded, accepting the cig he was offering, "Just like good old times." Marax sighed, pulling a lighter out of his back pocket, lighting both his own and Vale's cigarette.

"Just like good old times." Vale nodded, taking a deep breath in, before blowing out the smoke.

Marax sighed, shaking his head, "Then is it right to assume that, like normal times, you want something?"

The way that the tiger demon sighed, Marax knew he was right, "Even when I do, I'd like to take some time to just relax with you."

"I can't afford to do that," Marax cut in, "I am on duty."

"I'll need access into the castle."

"I can't do that."

Vale groaned, holding his forehead, "Remember when you promised me one favor?"

"All those years ago? Yes."

"Then you have to understand that, to use that now, it's a big deal."

Marax shook his head, "I can only do so much."

"If I can't get in there, then I need you to deliver something to a friend of mine behind the walls."

It had been a long time since Marax had seen Vale this despite for something. Even when they worked together, Vale was always the one to keep his cool, but in and out of trouble. So, to see the clever Valefor begging in a way, Marax nodded, "It can be done."

Vale nodded, pulling out a closed file, "I need this taken to Kuro Lilim Akuhei. Do you know her?"

At the name, Marax shuddered a bit, "I am aware of her."

"Please, get this to her as soon as possible."

Marax nodded, before bowing respectively, "Of course. I truly am sorry I can't do more."

Finally, Vale laughed, shaking his head, before leaning on the gate, sighing, "…Kuro reminds me of her; so, you have to understand that her safety means a lot to me. I've seen this happen once; I don't want Kuro to go through what Lezabel had to."

"I know what you mean." Marax nodded, before giving him a thankful look, "I still can't thank you enough."

"It's the least I can do." Vale insisted, slowly growing a bit uncomfortable. Finally, he shook his head, "I'll be leaving you to it then."

"Wait."

"Hmm?"

"Tell her something for me, when you can?"

"Of course."

"Tell her that…that her big brother still misses and loves her. Can you do that for me?"

"That's the least I can do."

* * *

 **Azazel: Okay, that was just rude.**

 **Miu: W-well, it could h-have been worse.**

 **Katrina: Not really, no.**

 **Amy: right next to Nyx, no one really knows Azazel.**

 **Nyx: And I don't see her story being canceled when it's already over, so she's got that going for her.**

 **Amy: Don't matter, either way, everyone be knowing me!**

 **Erin: Nah, you're too old.**

 **Amy: Shut up, I'm not old! I'm original.**

 **Erin:** **Yeah, go tell that to every elderly soldier in Overwatch.**

 **Katrina: finally, a reference I understand fully.**

 **Lilith: I think it's about time that we ended this. We've gone on far enough.**

 **Amy: Why should we do that?**

 **Lilith: Something feels...off...**

 **Erin: How so?**

 **Amy: Hey, give it a moment, I can feel it too...**

 **Azazel: What is it? Another way for you to cut me off?**

 **Lilith: No, it's just-hey, what is that!?**

 **Satan: Well, would you look at that?**

 **Amy: WHAT THE FUCK!? WHY IS SATAN IN THE AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTES!?**

 **Satan: I speak in bold as well.**

 **Erin: Makes sense.**

 **Lilith: And that's why I'm going to end the chapter...give me a moment...**


	7. His Fair Lady, Whimsical

**Hi hi!**

 **Sorry this took so long. The laptop I'm using sucks, not to mention that I'm trying to salvage what I can from Atrium. Honestly, at this point, I'm just going to scrap the idea, or maybe I'll put it up for adoption.**

 **But enough with that, you're not here to listen to that, you're here for story!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

In her lazy morning daze, as she liked to put it, Kuro couldn't help but yawn, stretching out on the rather comfortable bed. Her bed was great, but she didn't remember it feeling like what the humans called a cloud. So, when something came up to scratch behind her ears, nothing could stop her from purring lightly, nuzzling into the touch. It was when the figure spoke that Kuro slowly snapped out of her high persona.

"You're such an adorable Kitty when you're like this."

Since she was still tired, all she could do was grab a pillow and fling it behind her, hoping that she didn't miss. So, when she heard the muffled groan, she couldn't help the sleepy smile that crept across her face, a snort of a giggle leaving her mouth.

She attempted to roll off the bed, as she would have done on any other lazy morning, only to feel an arm secure her in place, "…Mmm…Lemme go."

"Why roll off when I can hold you, just for a bit?" Corvus cooed softly into her ear.

"Maybe that's because the floor seems more inviting and comfortable than you."

"That was harsh, Kitten." Corvus sighed into her hair, before finally letting go of her waist. Once he did, Kuro wasted no time rolling off of the bed, falling nearly face first into the floor. Concerned, Corvus quickly threw his head over the side, the bed was decently far off of the ground, "Kitten, are you alright?"

He wasn't sure how to respond when he saw her eyes closed, mouth slightly open in a slightly cute way as she breathed in and out softly, her ears twitching every now and then.

It was borderline adorable.

Meanwhile, Kuro couldn't help but stretch on the ground, tempted to go back for another fifteen minutes of calm and quiet sleep, only to scowl when the blinds were pulled back, "If you're going to be like that, we might as well start. We have quite the full day today."

"No, YOU have a full day." Kuro hissed, doing what she could to cover her face, only to have something soft and familiar gently thrown at her face.

"No, today I've decided that you need to learn how to navigate your new home." Corvus insisted, before he walked off to his dresser, "Now then, I ask that you dress appropriately, this will be the first time that the staff gets a good look at you, and I want nothing but the best for your first impression."

Groaning, she couldn't stay mad for too long when she realized it was her hoodie he'd thrown at her, "So…I can't wear this, can I?"

"I'd…rather you not." Corvus shuddered, looking at the article as if it were laced with poison, "A lady like you should not be wearing such rags, especially around the help."

"So, lemme get this straight." Kuro groaned, tying her hoodie around her waist before going over to the dresser, pulling out a random dress, "You expect me to wear this in front of people? Fuck, Princess Jasmine is less revealing then this!"

"…I beg a pardon?"

"Just drop it, Disney sueing is much worse than Blizzard." Kuro scowled, before looking through the dresses, "Still, I think I'd rather look like a filthy commoner then a filthy stripper, you know what I mean?"

"If you'd like, I'll have the seamstress come in to make something to your liking." Corvus insisted, "Until then, I'm sorry, but that's all I have."

"Aww shit." Kuro muttered, covering her eyes, before grabbing a random dress. Before she could look repulsed, she made a mad dash for the bathroom. When she finally took the time to look over the dress, she couldn't help but gag, before swallowing down her pride.

When she could, she'd get out, she'd escape all of this bullshit and go back to how things use to be.

But, till then, she had to wear this…

…Eww.

* * *

Corvus sighed, waiting outside the bathroom, a tiny bit impatient with how long she was taking. Last he checked, she wasn't wearing a corset back, as he had wished. He allowed a moment to imagine slowly tying her corset, before quickly snapping out of it when the door finally opened.

He couldn't help but do a double take. She wore a nice dark purple dress, one that matched the shade of her eyes perfect. But while it looked very nice on her, he couldn't help but think that it was a bit…simple, "You look rather ravishing, Kitten."

Shut up." Kuro growled, a light blush on her waist, before scowling, "It's the only thing that didn't look too showoff-ish. It still doesn't feel right."

"Don't worry, it should be enough." Corvus said, murmuring the last part to himself, before holding his arm out like a gentleman, "Now then, if I may be your escort?"

"Yes, but don't expect me to be all lady like." Kuro grinned lightly, "I can dress the part, but there is no way that I'm going to act the part."

Corvus shrugged, surely that would change eventually. He opened the door for her, "My lady."

"Shut it." Kuro groaned, before walking out the door. Corvus made sure that the door was closed and locked behind the two, before walking on. In all honestly, every turn would look the same to someone from the outside, especially a commoner who had never been within the walls before.

He couldn't help but think how cat-like she looked when she was looking around, her eyes seeming to be in the present and everywhere at the same time, "Shall we start?"

"Whenever you're ready." Kuro said, yawning lightly, before smacking her lips in a very unladylike way.

"Let's start on this floor." Corvus murmured, "You might not have noticed, since I did fly you up here, but we are currently on floor 64 in the main tower."

"There's more than one castle?" Kuro said, eyes going blank.

"Yes and no. In a sense, the castle is made up of four interconnected towers, with one tower, dubbed the main tower, as the middle. There is one tower for each general of Satan; for example, the north tower is called the tower of Legion, and that is where most meetings take place if they're not of utmost importance."

"There are many different types of stairs that run through the castle, while the commoners that seek an audience with the king will walk the brown-lined staircase, you and I will be using the red-lined staircase."

"Why?" Kuro asked, head tilted to the side.

"Like many other things that make the higher class run, it's simply a matter of status." Corvus shrugged.

"That…made no sense."

"It's similar to how a poor person doesn't not walk into a rich bar simply because it is a public meeting place." Corvus cleared up, before shivering, "Just the thought is revolting."

"Okay, hold up." Kuro said, stopping him with a look, "What is it with the superiority complex?"

"…I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, you should be, Mr. I'm-so-privileged." Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "I get it, you were probably raised to think that you could use anyone as a stepping stone, but don't be mad when I say that I've got a different view on the whole thing."

"I expect nothing less." Corvus shrugged, "You did grow up as one of them."

"…Okay, one, rude much?" Kuro nearly growled, fist clenched, "Two, don't you dare even begin to drag that whole 'filthy-commoner' bullshit out of your ass, 'cause I've been hearing it my whole life, and last I checked, I was doing relatively fine before you quite literally swept me off of my feet! And last of all...fuck, I forget my last statement, but you get my point!"

Corvus couldn't help but back up a bit, hands raised just in case the feline demon decided to begin throwing punches. She'd slowly gotten louder with each word, to the point where she had been borderline shouting at him. But, all the while, he couldn't help but smirk.

She was adorable when she was irritated.

"I do apologize about that." Corvus insisted, bowing with the sincerity. Not that it would matter, they'd have her properly civilized soon enough.

Kuro huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Let's just move on." She scowled. Corvus lead her down a series of passageways, every now and then saying something about how only demons of a certain rank would be allowed on this floor or in this room but stopped upon realizing that Kuro wasn't paying any attention.

Every now and then Corvus would steal a glance at her, noticing that faraway look in her eyes, as if she'd split her mind into two, one to follow him and the other to follow whatever her head was creating.

Finally, he stopped her at the top of the grand staircase, "This is the main floor, where we host a majority of our parties, especially the ones that include the public."

Corvus could see how Kuro looked the place over, only to have a flash of irritation cross her irises, "This is where I was two nights ago."

"And to think that you're here again." Corvus said, "You should count yourself lucky, not too many commoners can say that they've been within these walls more than once."

"Yeah, a real pleasure." Kuro sighed, walking down the stairs, getting a good look of the place, "Won't lie though, this place looks a lot bigger when it's empty- Hey, is that a piano!?"

Corvus couldn't help but laugh a bit, as he watched her make a mad dash down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet. Upon seeing this, Corvus made a mental note to take her out not only to find some attire she'll agree to, but also some sort of decent footwear; running around the castle barefoot was not something that was considered appropriate, much less lady like.

He still couldn't fully wrap his head around how she could jump from being on the verge of starting a fight to a sort of happy-go-lucky childish mindset. In all honesty, that only added to that sort of pull he felt towards her.

He wasn't quick to say he was in love, no, he wasn't at that stage of it yet. There was no doubt that, in time, he would slowly come to adore her as any mate would. Sure, he'd feel a pull there, a bit of lust here, but other than that, she was just another demoness.

And yet, it wasn't that simple.

Finally coming to the bottom of the stairs, he watched her take a seat at the piano's stool, flexing her fingers, "Do you play?" He asked.

"I've never seen a real piano in my life." Kuro replied, "It's a lot bigger in person."

"...If you wanted, I could teach you." He proposed. In order to win, the first step was to get as close to her as possible. It was all part of the plan, to gain her trust.

And, soon enough, with trust would come the affection.

"Never in a million years." Kuro scoffed, pushing his attempt off. He shook his head, why did she bother playing so hard to get?

"Are you certain?" Corvus asked, before coming up behind her. His ghosted his hands over her own, pressing them lightly against the keys, "I'm told that I am the best of my brothers when it comes to-."

"Bug off!" Kuro shouted, pushing him off of her, to which Corvus was taken aback once again. Surely, he didn't pose as a threat when he did that, did he? "I don't know why you don't understand that no means no. It's that simple."

"...If you insist." Corvus sighed, backing off. Did he no longer hold that charm over the opposite gender, or was it just Kuro? At this point, he was leaning towards the second one.

He was ready to continue on with the tour, only to have Kuro shoot up all of a sudden, her eyes narrowed.

Confused, he followed her gaze out an open doorway, "...What's wrong?"

"Do you hear that?' Kuro muttered, as if talking to herself, as she got up from the piano' seat, walking over to the doorway. Right before he could question her, he heard it too, far off from the castle.

An explosion.

* * *

Kuro looked out the doorway, just in time to watch as a billowing black smoke cloud rose up from the air. Judging by the location, it was near the official boundaries of the Rift, the line between the rich and the poor.

"That's got to be the third one this week." Kuro murmured, watching in a sort of daze as another went off, this time a bit deeper into Rift territory, "I remember waking up to one of those. Not fun."

"Don't mind it much." Corvus said from behind her. Kuro could practically feel the detached empathy in his voice, as if this was just another normal occurrence, "The guard will be sent there soon enough to clean up the riots."

To that, Kuro huffed; typical.

As if on cue, Kuro watched as a wave of guards rushed out of the castle, heading to the site of the explosion. Majority went down the main staircase, but others branched out, exiting the many large side doors.

"Wait, this isn't right." She heard Corvus murmur, before he brought one of them to a halt, "You over there; why are there so many of you going to this one riot?"

"Forgive us, Prince Crow." the guard said, saluting, "We are ordered to have at least half of the guards at these riots. There is more than one as we speak, my Prince."

"I'll have to speak with Marax about that." Corvus muttered, "And what are your orders?"

"We are to eradicate anything that is suggested to be a part of the conflict, my Prince."

To this, Kuro's eyes narrowed, "What exactly does that mean? Dumb it down for me."

"We are to kill on sight, Miss."

Kuro was silent for a good few seconds, only to shake her head, sighing, "Well, I expect nothing less from my home town." She shrugged, before letting the guard go, said demon making a mad dash out of the castle.

Kuro sighed, watching the riot from afar, only to laugh darkly to herself.

"...Dearest...Are you alright?"

"Peachy." Kuro shrugged, "Do me a favor and get me some popcorn, would ya?"

"You seem very relaxed for someone watching their prior home being destroyed." Corvus noted.

"Meh, Rift has stood for this long." Kuro shrugged. In the back of her head, she couldn't help but enjoy the chaos in a way, wanting to jump into the fray, "I'm sure that it'll still be standing. If anything, I'm worried about the guards. The whole guard regiment isn't nearly enough to take out the demons of the Rift. Believe me on that."

Kuro couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable when he simply came to stand behind her, the both of them looking over what was soon to be a minor battleground. The silence was slowly but surely getting to her.

Normally, she'd be the last person to try and start a conversation with someone like him, but at the same time, she was one of those people that couldn't stand prolonged silence.

So, she did the unthinkable.

* * *

"Knock knock."

Corvus gave her an odd look, to which she held a small sort of a smile on her face, "I'm sorry?"

"I can't stand you, but I don't like silence either." Kuro shrugged, before pressing once more, "Knock knock."

In his head, while he wasn't sure where this would go, he decided to simply go with it, "Who's there?"

"Babylon."

Corvus scoffed, she wouldn't dare to make a joke like that, "Babylon who?"

"Babylon." Kuro insisted, shrugging, "It's not like I'm listening to you."

It took him a good while to figure out what she'd said, only to have a half scoff half smirk, "You did not just make a Religious joke."

"What do you call a nun in a wheelchair?"

If there was any similarity between himself and his brother, it was the fact that they both weren't too fond of jokes. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of amusement, "I dare not guess."

"Virgin mobile!" Kuro grinned, laughing silently to herself.

Corvus only continued to give her an odd look, before shaking his head, "Jokes are not very ladylike; especially those types of jokes."

"Why did God make donuts?" Kuro continued to press, a sort of knowing smile on her face.

He didn't know why, but that expression was one he couldn't look away from, "I wouldn't make God jokes here if I were-."

"Because he wanted them holy." Kuro grinned, cackling to herself like a madman.

Corvus shook his head, at this point, she was more of an immature lunatic then ladylike.

But, there was a part of him that was pulling him to- No, no he'd never dare.

"What do you call holy bread?"

"I don't know, Kuro; what do you call holy bread?" Corvus sighed, trying hard not to do it.

He refused to give in, he couldn't give in.

He didn't even know how to make a joke.

"Jesus Crust." Kuro smirked. He couldn't tell if she knew what she was doing to him, but in the end, he doubted she even cared, "Why wasn't Jesus born in Italy?"

"Why do you keep telling Religious jokes?" Corvus questioned, each joke coming close to making his laugh as well as cringe.

"They could find the three wise guys, but not the virgin." Kuro grinned, silently giggling to herself.

He was slowly breaking under the pressure.

"What kind of fun does a priest have?"

It was slowly becoming too much.

"Nun."

He wasn't going to make it.

"What's the difference between Jesus and a human father?"

He...was about...to make...

"The human never comes back."

"How do you make holy water?"

To hearing this, the both of them stopped for a bit, Kuro giving him a bewildered look, as if not believing what she'd just heard. Meanwhile, Corvus kept his expression cool, even if he were panicking on the inside. What the hell was he doing?

Unwilling to let him out of this, Kuro shrugged, "You tell me."

Corvus fought every inch of himself not to answer, he would not say it, he swore to his father, he could not-

"You boil the hell out of it."

...Fuck.

Kuro's eyes went wide, almost giving him an insane look, when it happened.

She threw her head back, laughing.

Corvus's eyed her. It wasn't her usual sadistic cackle, nor was it a fake sarcastic laugh similar to his own. No, this was something that sounded...real. It wasn't forced, it wasn't a light snicker, nor was it a sadistic roar of mirth.

In all honesty, it was kind of cute.

She hadn't come to showing any signs of an end to her hysterical laughter, not that he minded, it was downright adorable. But, while the future and the game was unknown, he did know one thing for sure.

Just that laugh was enough to make any casual demon fall for her.

* * *

 **So, from here on in, I'll try to explain. Partly so that I don't lose any of you and also because I know I'll forget something important and this is easy for me to read through just incase.**

 **Corvus isn't in love just yet. In his head, he sees it as a challenge challenge to get Kuro to slowly but surely fall in love with him.**

 **Arc, on the other hand, is basically already deep in that hole but is also in some deep denial. He's not at "in love" yet, but he's much closer then Corvus is. Arc is more confused by Kuro and her antics, which is part of the reason he wants to get close to her. He wants to understand how she works and why she does what she does.**

 **Kuro: Why do I need to be stuck in this stupid love triangle?**

 **Me: Because I've got nothing better to do.**

 **Kuro: But still! I'm too passively lethargic for this bullshit.**

 **Me: In the words of every teenager trying to be cool; "Deal with it".**

 **Kuro: Oh shut up.**

 **Amy: Aww, don't be such a Lilith ya grouch.**

 **Lilith: What was that suppose to mean, you psychopathic fiend?**

 **Amy: Really? That's it?**

 **Erin: Dude, even Miu can come up with better insults.**

 **Lilith: I'd like to see the introverted one try.**

 **Erin: Hey, Miu, do us a favor and come over!**

 **Miu: It m-must be important i-if y-you guys are c-calling me over f-for once!**

 **Amy: Insult me.**

 **Miu:...Huh?**

 **Amy: I've got something to prove.**

 **Miu: B-but I can't!**

 **Amy: Come on, I know you have some sort of disliking to me deep down inside.**

 **Miu: B-but it would be rude...**

 **Lilith: She doesn't have the spine to insult a fly.**

 **Amy: Come on, Miu; if you can't insult me, Lilith is gonna be right and I'm going to be irritated. You don't want me to be irritated, do you?**

 **Erin: Well, being how you ARE irritating-**

 **Amy: You know what, no one asked you, Fire Fuckface.**

 **Erin: Wow, you're worse then Lilith.**

 **Amy: Shut up! Now then, Miu, hurry up and make fun of me!**

 **Miu: W-well...Are y-you sure?**

 **Amy: Go for it.**

 **Miu: Okay...Umm...Well...Y-you're a terrible person...**

 **Amy:...Fuck-**

 **Miu: *Breaths deeply* You're a senseless, ludicrous, psychopathic that has no idea what basic intelligence and inherent rationality. You try and strive to be much more then you could ever dream of being, most of your "funny" personality being from the fluke conditions that you seem to be held under rather then real character building and bonding. Not to mention that you are egotistical, moronic, shallow-**

 **Amy: Fuck, I get it.**

 **Lilith: I'll give it to her, that wasn't half bad.**

 **Miu:-You wish to have power that you'll never be able to attain, you strive for relationships you'll succeed, and you're either a try hard or much too lethargic.**

 **Kuro: Huh, would you look at that. Guess I'm not original.**

 **Amy: Shut it you fucking Neko girl.**

 **Kuro: Joke's on you, I'm not Chinese.**

 **Lilith: At this point, I don't know who's doltish; the Section 8 with a water-logged brain or...I'm not sure what to call you as of now.**

 **Amy: You talk like Katrina.**

 **Lilith: I think you mean that Katrina talks like me.**

 **Katrina: It should be "Speaks as I do", to be grammatically correct.**

 **Miu: -irritating, rude, abberent just to name a few. You're also a colossal waste of space, believing yourself to be the all powerful one when really, you're one of the weakest willed here.**

 **Amy: Fuck, I think we broke the shy Jap.**

 **Erin: Are you done yet?**

 **Miu: *Shakes head* Almost, one more.**

 **Amy: By all means.**

 **Miu: _I will fucking kill you._**

 **Amy: (0_0) Shit, I get it!**

 **Miu: D-Did I do well?**

 **Amy: Yes, I've made my point, no go and grab a cookie or something.**

 **Me:...I don't have any control over the author's notes anymore, do I?**

 **Lilith: Who said that you had any to begin with?**

 **Me: I can do one thing.**

 **Erin: Which is?**

 **Me: Story end! Till next time, bai bai!**


	8. His Fair Lady, ignored pt 1

**Hi hi!**

 **This chapter became too long, so I decided to split it into two separate chapters.**

 **Also, a quick and rather important update:**

 **My laptop isn't working too well, so I'll be getting a new one. The problem is that I have to turn in this old thing soon, and I don't think I'll be able to get a new laptop till the school year begins since this is a school laptop first. I might just go back to writing fan fiction on my tablet, but that remains to be unseen.**

 **With that said, it might take a while before I'm able to get a chapter out after this, that includes the part two unless I work quickly.**

 **but, with that happily out of the way, ONWARDS!**

* * *

Shax did what he could to ignore the irritating screams and shouts from outside as he cleaned the bar top. While closed, it still housed three other demons, each doing their own little thing within the room.

Vale stood over the tiny weapons stash Shax allowed in the bar. As of late Shax would only allow so much, since it was against the law, as a means of self-defense.

Zagan took to another part of the bar, keeping a watchful eye through the closed blinds of the window on any small fight from the riot that could get too close.

Meanwhile, out of all of them, Abraxas sat at the bar, drink in hand, as he shook his head, "You know, I never did think that I'd miss the screams of hell." He cackled almost maniacally, the hood of his jacket threatening to fall off when he threw his head back, laughing.

"Do keep quiet, would you?" Vale sighed, writing a few things down on the clipboard he held, as he took stock of anything else that could be used in a fight, "I'd hate to draw attention to this place; we're lucky enough as is that they won't touch us."

"For now." Zagan scowled.

To this, Abraxas shook his head, grinning up to his older brother, "So this is what became of your legendary secret hitman team? Now I know for sure that Kuro was a great addition."

"And the only one we decided to accept." Vale muttered, shaking his head, "The others you so graciously volunteered couldn't live up to what we needed."

"Deep down, you're just happy that I had a chick replace me." Abraxas grinned.

"Being that 'replaced' is a much more potent term then you mean it to be." Shax mumbled, "The only reason that I did not disown you when you left was because I knew we'd need you again."

"And it's 'cause I'm your loveable little bro!" Abraxas jeered.

"Just be happy that Kuro thinks highly of you." Vale shot at him.

"And that finding a sharpshooter in hell is hard enough." Zagan agreed.

"You guys fucking suck." Abraxas grumbled into his drink, taking another sip, before squeezing his eyes shut, "Damn, this is some strong shit!"  
Nothing could stop the light smile from gracing Shax's face, as he gave Abraxas a knowing look, "It's coffee you imbecile."

The bar was then filled with the quiet chuckles of Vale and Zagan's near gut busting laughter, to which Abraxas scowled, "Fine laugh it off, try keep it up when I find my old scope." He muttered bitterly into the cup.

Right before anyone could shoot the younger demon a snarky remark, Zagan backed away from the window, eyes wide, "I'd recommend that we get into defense mode."

"We don't have a defense mode." Vale shot right back, "Besides, it can't be that bad for us to go into full lockdown."

"If that's the case, do you want me to go outside and greet the guards instead?" Zagan shot back.

Vale placed his clipboard onto the countertop, making his way for the windows that Zagan had backed away from. Shax followed right after, ignoring how Abraxas was still fuming over his alcohol-not-alcohol coffee.

The two could only watch in slight horror when the royal guards began to march their way down into Rift, quickly cleaning up the fights with even more blood.

Vale had to take a moment to reel back from that all, when Shax snapped into ordering mode, "Abraxas, I want you stationed on the roof. Keep close eyes on where the guards decide to go. If they get too close and show malicious intent, just like any other included in the riot, dispose of them."

"Sure thing, boss man." Abraxas said in an almost snarky way, quickly getting off of his chair, "By the way, you still have Candi?"

"Under the grill." Shax sighed, walking back over to the bar counter back, "Why do you insist on calling your gun a human name?"

"Maybe it's because I treat my guns and human women the same." Abraxas smirked, "Treat them well so they do their best, maybe give'em an award later on~."

"If you're trying to sound like a cool player, it's not working." Vale called after him as he disappeared into the kitchen, before turning to Shax, "It feels odd to prefer Kuro's presence."

"You're not to only one." Shax admitted, before shaking his head, "If I could, I'd like the both of you to be watching the windows. I'll take over on counting stock."

Vale nodded, going to join Zagan where he stood, said giant sighing as he pulled at his jacket, "It's not looking to good, the crowd is fighting back hard."

It wasn't hard for Shax to hear what the rather loud demon would say, as he picked up Vale's clipboard, looking over what the information broker what might have missed. So far, he held five knives, Kuro's unused sniper, and about two other shards of the metal. Shax sighed, if he was caught he'd make sure to drag Vale down with him by the ear.

"Crap, they're starting to drag people away."

To this, even Shax stood still for a bit, shuddering just a bit. It wasn't a secret, there was little to no chance of getting out alive when the guards took you in, especially when it took place during a riot. At least, that's what Shax would assume since, last he checked, the Barons and Duchess of hell didn't fight.

No, they hired demons like them to take care of that.

Vale mumbled a curse, "They're taking away Dajjal."

"How can you tell?"

"Can you see him from here? He has enough gold on him to light up hell, I swear."

While Shax had never had to chance to meet the demon, he'd heard snippets from here and there about a particular demon that enjoyed golden piercings a bit too much.

Vale sighed, a bit angrier then he'd normally liked to let on, "Dammit, he was one of my main clients; not to mention that there's no one to watch out for his sister now."

"I don't think that that's going to be an issue." Zagan muttered.

As Shax finished counting, he heard Vale murmur, "No, no, Sarlea, what are you doing?"

Shax walked over just in time to watch as a little girl, armed with nothing but what seemed to be a busted bottle, assaulted the guards holding Dajjal hostage. They seemed taken aback for only a moment, before one of the guards grabbed the little girl's wrist, throwing her back before passing Dajjal down a sort of "guard assembly line" to where ever.

Shax watched as Vale backed away from the window, holding his face as he shook his head, "Damn idiot, he should have known better then to get caught out there."

"He was a good friend of yours?" Zagan asked.

To which, Vale scowled, giving Zagan a look, "No, of course not. I prefer a professional relationship with a client, it's simply the fact that I've...done many jobs for him and his sister."

"So, you do care." Zagan summed up with a blank look.

"For the last time, I do not care." Vale murmured, watching as Serlea tried once again to break her brother out of the line, only to be thrown back once again, "It'll just be a lot harder to find work; he was a good connection when it came to finding people, not to mention that a lot of my business came from Dajjal."

"Well, I'd suggest that you find a new connection." Shax shrugged from where he stood, before shaking his head, "I still don't get it."

"What is there to get?" Zagan sighed, "We had a riot and they sent in guards."

"You know as well as I do that they don't care for what happens in Rift." Shax sighed, "At this point, we're our own separate community; if you can call us that."

"But maybe, just maybe, Vale's boyfriend decided to fuck us over." Zagan pushed.

To which, the Tiger demon scowled, "Marax wouldn't have. It has to be someone else, a higher up."

"And why would that be?" Zagan asked, ready to drag the oh so high up down to his level, "You like to go on and on about how your guard friend likes to keep loyalty and justice and shit."

"He also knows that he still owes me for something big." Vale pressed, "Just trust me when I say that he wasn't the one to order this."

"I'd hope so." Shax murmured, shaking his head.

All of this would be a lot lighter on them if they had the apathetic cat demon.

"…Love how you didn't bother to disprove the whole boyfriend thing," Abraxas muttered from his corner, taking another sip of coffee, only to make another face.

* * *

The two of them walked down the halls in silence, heading back up to their room. Kuro would allow a stifled giggle here and there, "Boil the hell out of it, I need to remember that." Kuro grinned to herself, more than a bit giddy from the joke.

Meanwhile, Corvus would sneak a look here and there, as they began to climb up the staircase, watching as she shook her head, still laughing lightly to herself. Call him selfish, but he couldn't help but want a bit more.

"Good evening to you, Kuro."

Of course, it wouldn't last.

Kuro looked up with a small smile on her face, before grinning towards the newcomer, "Arc! What's good!?"

The only thing that Corvus liked about the moment was how uncomfortable his brother looked when Kuro walked over, slapping his back all in good fun. He'd never understand how and why common demons would greet each other in such a way, unless maybe this was something that only she did.

"I see that you're done wasting time with Cresil." Corvus injected, giving Arc a knowing look.

Scowling, Arc shook his head, "I see you're finally done wasting Kuro's time." Shot right back, "Besides, she's not the reason I'm here."

The statement peaked Corvus' curiosity, "Oh?"

"Cresil asked me to invite you to Legion's meeting." Arc said rather formally, before nodding to Kuro, "They would like you to come as well."

"And why can't I just chill somewhere else?" Kuro asked, making a face.

"The guard just came back from that riot." Arc said, pushing his glasses up, "We've apprehended a rather...perilous character. Since you are from Rift, general Legion has requested your audience."

"And if I don't agree?" Kuro shot right back. And yet, Corvus could see that small peek of curiosity in her eyes, shining rather brightly as if she was almost dying to know why they'd want her around.

"Then they'll most likely have him executed on the spot." Arc sighed, shrugging. However, under his calm and collected facade, Corvus swore that he could see something else lurking underneath, as if there was a sort of hidden question or statement.

Kuro then mimicked his shrug, a teasing smile on her face, "Well, I guess I'll go. I've got nothing better to do, and if I have to, I'll just snooze in the meeting."

The three walked together, Kuro stuck right in the middle of Corvus and Arc's shared tension. Corvus couldn't help but shoot Arc a sly grin, before stretching an arm out, over Kuro's shoulder. But, before Arc could do anything, Kuro made a face, swatting Corvus' arm off, "I don't want your armpit on my shoulder, thank you very much." Kuro hissed, seeming half irritated and half teasing, before walking on, dashing when a window came into view.

Right when she left, Corvus glared at Arc, who was silently smirking, "And, pray tell, what do you find so amusing?"

"She seems to despise you more than most women, would you not agree?" Arc put forth rather eloquently, "I wouldn't put it out of reach to believe that she'll come around to me before ever putting you to thought."

"That is where you are wrong, dear brother." Corvus insisted, his calm demeanor only betrayed by the way he had hissed the two words, "And yes, she isn't like most. Which will only make winning her over so much sweeter."

Arc kept to silence, much to Corvus' liking. Even with all the smarts in the world, his brother had seemed to forget one fairly game-changing factor in all of this.

Corvus shook his head, slowly drawing closer to Kuro, who leaned on the window absentmindedly, staring outwards. Corvus took a peek outside, only to raise an eyebrow, "What are you looking at?"

"The outside world." Kuro muttered, almost dazed to the point, "It looks nice from up here."

Corvus made a face, before shrugging, "I guess it would to someone of your stature."

To this, her almost dazed expression turned sour, as she once again moved away from the Crow. This only seemed to make his brother all the more happy, "I see that winning her over won't be like all the other hearts you've charmed."

"Do be quiet." Corvus scowled, Arc walking back up to lead them, "Not like you've ever captivated a woman."

Catching up to the two, he listened into the one-sided conversation Arc was having with Kuro. Said cat demon was going on and on about how boring this would be, all while Arc listened, nodding to agree with something she said from time to time.

Corvus couldn't help but scoff a bit at this, he would have tried to offer something to the conversation rather than standing there like a wall. He would have thrown in a compliment here and there, maybe a physical show of affection as well.

That's when the unimaginable happened.

For what seemed to be no reason at all, Kuro had launched up at him, hugging him. Corvus wasn't sure if he should have been angry or jealousy or...No, he couldn't quite name this new last feeling he had.

Scowling, he picked up the pace, walking right behind Kuro. For all he cared, he could be feeling death breathing down his neck. What he didn't get was why Arc didn't follow up on the action. He could have hugged her back, maybe even a kiss on the cheek, but no, he simply walked on, Kuro right next to him.

They were oddly quiet, but it was hard to ignore the small smile on Kuro's face. It never failed to intrigue him on how she could be happy for what seemed to be no apparent reason. But, of course, the downside of that would be she could also get mad for no apparent reason.

Finally, they came to the huge double doors, the dark wood lined with what seemed to be pure gold, the middle of each door holding the red inverted star.

Corvus walked in front of the two, pushing one door open, only to have Arc do the same. Paying the both of them no real attention, Kuro walked right through, leaving the brothers to glare at each other.

"It must burn to know she doesn't like having you around." Arc smirked.

"If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about it." Corvus said snidely back, before walking in, Arc not too far behind.

* * *

The room was a bit too dark for Kuro at first, the only light coming from the burning torches in each corner of the room. In the middle was a long table, that of which held many other demons, most of which clad in armor of the guard. At the head of the table, a being in a black shroud stood, hands open, _"I do believe that you are Princess Lilium, yes?"_ He, or she, spoke with many overlapping voices.

Kuro couldn't help but bow, trying her best to look like the Narcissist that stood behind her, "I'd prefer Kuro, if you don't mind, Fire Lord Ozai."

 _"...I'm sorry?"_

"You know? The last Airbender?" She asked, looking around the room, only to have them all avert their eyes, "Aang? Bald dude with a blue arrow going down his head? Staff-flying thingy?"

She gestured to the room, "It even looks like the fire lord's throne room in here!"

"..."

"Fuck it, you guys suck." Kuro grumbled.

Finally, the figure at the top of the table cleared his throat, _"Now then, if I may call this meeting to order."_

"Oh, thank Satan." Kuro muttered, walking over to where Arc and Corvus had already been seated, sitting right in between them.

Ignoring her, the being went on, _"We've recently caught a rally of Tempters, all of which either the core of or taking part in the recent riot. Marax, bring them in."_

"What's a Tempter?" Kuro asked.

"It's a term we used for those who live in the Rift." Arc answered, unphased.

"So…That's what you call poor people?"

"Precisely."

Off to the side, a familiar set of armor stood next to the door, nodding obediently before pulling the door open.

On the other side, five demons walked in, each of them shackled by their wrists and ankles, all in one continuous chain. They marched in, eyes staring into the ground, when one of them caught her eye.

She couldn't place a name, Satan knows that her memory of any line of words would be lost in the mess known as her mind, but she never did forget a face. Especially one that had gold pierced through his nose, four on each ear, and two in his right eyebrow. Those deep purple eyes held many untold secrets, like any information broker would, not to mention his dark hair that spiked up in the oddest places.

 _"Now then, if you wouldn't mind telling us what happened in the Rift, Zimbar?"_

Another nameless suit of armor stood, much less grand then the one that Marax supported, "While on our way to detain the riot, we were able to capture these five Tempters were caught attacking the guard, M'lord Legion."

At the name, Kuro studied the demon standing in the front of all of them. Legion, the official right-hand man of Satan. The one who was many.

Legion nodded, before turning his two red orbs to Kuro, _"And what do you have to say to this, Princess Lilium?"_

"You understand what 'I'd prefer Kuro' means, right?" Kuro mumbled, keeping her eyes on the familiar face. She swore his name was on the tip of her tongue, what was it?

At her voice, the demon looked up, dark purple eyes pleading, only to be lit with hatred, "Kuro?"

To this, Kuro snapped her fingers, "Oh, now I remember! What's good, Dajjal!?"

To this, Legion sighed, _"If you are done with this whole social event; what do we say to this?"_

"We cannot allow such acts to go unpunished." One murmured.

"They should all die, sent to the gallows for a public execution." Another agreed.

"Whoa now, hold it, time out!" Kuro exclaimed, standing up.

"Sit back down!" One demanded, only to be silenced by Legion.

Said demon conducted his two red orbs to Kuro, as if looking right through her, _"No, let her speak. What does our new princess have to say about these barbarians?"_

"Why are you guys so quick to kill them?" Kuro pressed, ignoring the looks she'd get from them all, "I mean, come on, I'm sure that I would fight back too if guards decided to show up and break up a riot."

 _"And why is that?"_ Legion countered, _"I'm sure a pretty little thing like you is not meant for a fight, much less a riot."_

"You'd be surprised." Kuro shot back, before gesturing to them, "If they're so tiny and insignificant, surely you wouldn't mind to just let them back into the Rift; let us low life commoners deal with it, yes?"

Kuro couldn't help but grin to herself, when they began to murmur amongst each other, unsure what to agree with.

Silence was brought back when Legion stepped up _, "So tell me, Kuro,"_ He said, spitting out the name, _"You want them released; but we want them punished. Maybe we can come to a halfway point?"_

While not as loud, Kuro could hear faint whispers from around the room.

"What's going on?"

"Who does she think she is?"

"He's never met with someone halfway."

" _SILENCE!"_ Legion demanded, before clearing his throat, _"So, I am willing to let one of these...fine Rift-walkers go. The only terms I want is that, if we catch them again, they will be executed, no matter the charges. Not even you will be able to save them."_

Kuro gave him a look, before pointing to Dajjal, "Then let him go."

"You can't be fucking serious!" One shouted, glaring at Kuro, "You're just going to let the rest of us go get beheaded!?"

 _"Now now, there's no need to act rude. Besides, it's not like we're giving her much of a choice."_ Legion shrugged, before walking up to Zimbar, _"You were the one I put in charge when we obtained these five; what would you have done?"  
_ "No one would be saved, M'lord Legion." He said stiffly, "They don't deserve another chance."

 _"The right answer for the right captain."_ Legion stated, shooting Marax a look, who only stood diligently at his post right before the door, _"But, it would appear as if our new friend Kuro here has a bit more authority then you do."_

Legion then walked in front of the prisoner that spoke, a hand coming up to hold the demon's face, making him look him in the eye, _"And, pray tell, what do you have to say for yourself, Tempter?"_

The demon spat in his face, eyes aglow with hate, "May God himself cleanse me before I ever bow to the likes of you." He spat.

Legion wiped the spit off, before turning to the table, _"Behold, these are the kinds of demons that our new princess is trying to defend."_

"Oh, behold, Legion's all bitter cause he got spit in his eyes." Kuro shot right back, "I'd hate to see how you were in Elementary; probably that kid that had his lunch money stolen while all you did was run and tell big-bad-Satan. Isn't that right, Ozai?"

Before Legion could bite back, the chains rattled. Then, as if to do the unthinkable, the angered demon behind the two broke his chains. He growled, feral eyes landing on Kuro, before he flicked his wrist, a knife falling into place, "So you think that just because you have power now means that you're not one of us?" He growled, before throwing it.

Had it landed, it would have without a doubt went right through Kuro's skull. All she saw before instinctively snapping her eyes shut was a white glove flashing out before her face.

Counting down, it took her some time to realize that she still had both eyes still in the right places of her skull, before taking a peek.

The white glove had gripped the blade so hard, dark red blood seeped into the white cotton. But it wasn't that that got to her, nor was it the fact that someone actually had to skill to pull such a thing off. No, it was the fact that the white gloved hand belonged to none other than Corvus.

"Are you alright?" He asked, grasping her chin to get a better look at her face. She had been so startled she'd actually allowed him to check her over, but only for a moment before batting away his hand, "I'm fine."

Meanwhile, the guards raced to apprehend the demon, quickly pushing him down, hands behind his back, held tightly. All the while, Legion scowled, looking to those at the table, _"Is this the kind of demon you want running rampant in our kingdom!? Zimbar, take them to the gallows. ALL of them."_

The guard nodded, visibly shaking in his boots, before bowing, "Of course, M'lord Legion." He said obediently, before grabbing the chain, hauling off the other four demons, including Dajjal.

"Hey, you said you'd let him free!" Kuro snapped.

 _"But they've made themselves known as a threat."_ Legion shot right back, _"By one of them being a threat, they are all put to blame. ALL of them."_

He then addressed the demons at the table, _"With that, I conclude this session; you're all dismissed."_

And just like that, Kuro found herself outside, the doors closing in her face, nearly hitting her in the nose.

She grinded her teeth together, before curling her fingers into a fist, "That red-eyed son of an angel, two-faced, jerk-wad, dick shit faggot!" Kuro shouted, punching the door so hard she'd left a crack not only in the wood, but also through her skin, "And fuck this huge ass fucking door! I mean, come on, who needs a door the fucking size of Appa!?"

She whipped around to Arc and Corvus, both of whom stood right behind her, "Lemme guess, you both don't get it."

When she got no answer from the both of them, she growled, "I don't know why I bother anymore, I really don't!"

She huffed, holding her forehead, before walking off, "I need a fucking nap. Later." She didn't wait for a response, before walking off, irritation etched over her face.


	9. His Fair Lady, ignored pt 2

**Hi hi!**

 **I guess that this will be the last chapter before I give this laptop off. While I don't like it, I'll either have to go on a pretty long (apparently it'll take two months, most of all of summer break), or I can see if my tablet still works and go from there.**

 **Erin: On a whole other note here.**

 **Me: Fuck, what do you want? I'm trying to say something important!**

 **Erin: But this is a lot more important!**

 **Me: Then what is it?**

 **Erin: Kuro is kinda like a copy of me.**

 **Me:...What?**

 **Lilith: You're only saying that because you're both in a Black Butler fanfic.**

 **Erin: Which is the main part of the stories!**

 **Kuro: Oh, am I hearing a little bit of jealousy?**

 **Erin: Am I hearing a bit of Nunya?**

 **Kuro: Nunya?**

 **Erin: Nunya business.**

 **Amy: Umm, Dwayne Johnson called, he wants Maui's lines back.**

 **Kuro: The only reason she's jealous is because she had to be turned into a demon like some anime-wannabe.**

 **Erin: Why would I be jealous when I can shoot fucking fire?**

 **Amy:...I'm feeling a little replaced right now...**

 **Me: Can we just move on, for the love of God?**

 **Kuro: Don't say the G word.**

 **Me: ONWARDS!**

* * *

Corvus sighed, scoffing, "It isn't that hard to tie a decent bowtie, Rorras."

"I do apologize, Prince Crow." The servant bowed, fixing the tie.

All the while, Corvus pulled a piece of lint off of his fresh black jacket, "Precot, you did say that this was a new jacket, yes?"

"From only the finest of clothing stores, Prince Crow." Another bowed.

"Then explain why I found something like this." Corvus sighed, tossing the thread to the ground, before rolling his shoulder, "For every thread I find; that's another thousand years of servitude."

That got the second servant to work, inspecting every inch of not only the jacket, but all of his formal attire.

When it looked like he was near perfection, his hair fell into his eyes, "...Kibrott, if you'd be so kind as to fix this mess."

In a mere matter of seconds, all three of his personal servants were on him, fixing everything down to the last detail of perfection.

He was currently within his room, getting ready for the public execution, to which Legion himself would appear before the public.

For such the occasion, Corvus had acquired a new long flowing black coat jacket over an ivory dress shirt, red bowtie, and black slacks. Over the right breast pocket sat a dark red pin, the introverted star with a dotted circle around it.

Just then, a knock came to the door. One of them went over to open it, before instantly bowing, "Prince Aranea."

Arc gave him a curt nod, before Corvus scowled, "I can fix the rest; off with you three."

The three gave him a bow, before scurrying out of the room, leaving it closed behind him. The two brothers sat in silence, each regarding the other just as coldly, before Corvus sighed, "I'm sure you're not here just to say hi."

"I was wondering where Kuro was." Arc admitted, his eyes giving away nothing.

Corvus sighed, giving the empty bed a look, "Well, she isn't here. I'd be able to sense it if she left the castle, so she's still within the walls."

When she had said she'd take a nap, Corvus had assumed that she meant in their shared room. But, upon walking in only to find that the whole room was bare, he was both parts worried and relieved.

While he didn't know where she was or if she was okay, at least she was still within the castle.

Arc sighed, shaking his head, before shoving his hands into his coat pockets, "Does it not bother you?"

"A lot tends to bother me." Corvus muttered, fixing the collar of his coat, "My personal servant brigade of idiots? A huge waste. The whole tradition of finding and keeping a mate? A total pest at times. The fact that you're still here? The worse by far, at the moment."

"She did have a point." Arc muttered, ignoring most of what Corvus had to say, "Do you think that Legion did it all as a test?"

"I wouldn't put it past the degenerate fiend." Corvus scowled, "And I don't mean that in a good way. Not that he's much better than your friend Cresil, yes?"

"Say as you might, Cresil has done a lot of good." Arc shot back, eyes narrowing behind his glasses, "He's been able to do much more for the guard then you have for the entirety of Hell."

"You've forgotten that it is not my job, nor is it my problem, to deal with." Corvus muttered back.

"My point is that, while Legion has always been a rather...Umbrous character, but he has always-."

"With all due respect, or lack thereof, dear brother," Corvus cut in, sighing while shaking his head, "I don't care for your theories, nor do I care for your debauched hypothesis'. You tend to forget that the kingdom that our father rules is one that has sustained itself upon the basic principles of betrayal, treachery and larceny."

Arc looked like he wanted to go on, only to shake his head, scowling, "I don't know why I ever brought it up with you; you obviously don't care for her wellbeing."

"And you're saying that you do?" Corvus shot right back, "And, while on that note, what do you think that Legion would do? He's already one of the most powerful demons of hell, only second to Satan himself."

"It just feels a bit off." Arc sighed, shaking his head, "I would have expected...Something out of you; it does pertain to Kuro."

"Then, while it is my matter, I can also choose when to take action." Corvus muttered, before grabbing a comb from Kuro's vanity, not that she used it much anyway, "I will not act against Legion with nothing but your hunches and your opinions."

Arc looked like he wanted to snipe something back, only to adjust his glasses, "So much for the love of a mate." He almost growled.

"Ah yes, something you'll never get to give her." Corvus threw right back, before pushing past him, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an execution to go to."

When the older of the two turned back, he couldn't help but grin on the inside at the pure and utter hatred Arc wore over his face. He didn't even look like he was trying to mask it. Corvus couldn't help but grin, as the shadows behind Arc flickered, spiking erratically at times to resemble spider legs piercing through the shadow's body, "Oh, is something wrong?"

"Ah, of course not." Arc growled through closed teeth, before shaking his head, his eyes locking on someone behind him, "Ah, hello, Cresil."

At the name, Corvus scowled, before turning around. The demon behind him had short dark blue hair that curved to the side, covering his left eye. The right eye was a very dark purple, the color matching his smile. He wore an expensive-looking white coat, the color blinding, even with his black shirt and slacks.

"Good evening to the both of your princes." Cresil said, bowing.

"Evening." Was all Corvus managed.

"Now then, shall we go?" Arc asked, straightening his sleeves as he spoke, "I doubt that Legion will wait for us, and I doubt that he'd like to realize that we're not there.".

With that said, the three of them walked down the halls, before Cresil sighed, "A rather lovely dusk we have, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Arc murmured, Corvus staying silent.

There was a lot that was off about Cresil. The way that he would flash his jacket as if he too were a prince, not to mention that smile he'd wear, it all felt fake and plastic, almost.

None of that came close to the fact that Cresil was once a Rifter.

Corvus shuddered at the thought. There was only one Rifter that he was okay with, and that was Kuro. But even with her redeeming qualities, there was a lot of Rifter grime left.

Fortunately, that could be washed away with time.

"How has the roundup been going?" Arc asked.

To this, Cresil grinned to himself, "Quicker than expected. A shame, really; I use to run with a lot of these guys. Good fellows, ya know. Sad that I gotta be the one to put them to death." Cresil then shrugged, "Not that it matters, when I get over the shock of it all. Business was always just that; business. Besides, Legion seems happy that the dungeon is filled."

Corvus only half listened, before sighing, shaking his head.

In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder where Kuro went off to. If he tried hard enough, the venom he'd injected into her through the bite would help to locate her, but honestly, at the moment, if she needed time alone then she needed time alone.

"I'm still looking for a…good friend of mine." Cresil said through closed teeth, the look rather nice in Corvus' opinion.

"Ahh, yes, you've told me of him once or twice." Arc murmured, "No leads whatsoever?"

"I haven't been able to find anything on him." Cresil sighed, pulling a hand through his hair, "No matter, when we do find him, I'll make sure that...justice is done."

"I'm sure that Kuro would have used an ill-humored 'reference' right about now." Corvus murmured, before walking out with the other two.

They had arrived in the public gallows, where the red sky helped to convey the bloodlust the nobility had and wanted. Only to most noble of the noble showed up, and even than it was a rather big gathering. The demons gathered all around the rather old wooden stage.

"I wonder what execution Legion wants this time." Arc wondered aloud, noticing six guards standing at the ready, hands resting on their weapons.

The three stood in a sort of royal box, watching from a bird's eye view. Even from above, he could hear the cheering of the crowd when five- no, six demons were dragged out in chains, a burlap sack over each head.

"Six?" Corvus asked aloud.

Finally, when the guards forced each prisoner down on their knees, Legion stepped out, his presence hushing the crowd, _"Demons of hell; you've all been gathered here today to witness the deaths of these low life Tempter-permeated Rifters."_ At the last part, the crowd roared with approval, only to be hushed once again with the wave of Legion's hand, _"Unfortunately, with them they take guard that held just enough tenacity to become the next captain...But was unable to do something as easy as checking for weapons."_

Corvus watched with dark amusement, as one of the guards pulled a burlap sack off, revealing the face of Zimbar. His face was lacerated with what could only be whip lashes. He looked like he wanted to say something, anything, but due to his condition, nothing but an utter groan left his mouth.

How the mighty had fallen.

 _"With these deaths, we will move from these mistakes, moving to make our land one of perfection not even the heavens can come across."_ Legion vowed.

"Always was one for the theatrics." Arc murmured.

"Does he see that it's a bit too much?" Corvus questioned.

"He's no fool, he knows exactly what he's doing; but, at the same time, he knows how to hook a crowd." Cresil commented, "A very fine talent indeed."

 _"Zimbar,"_ Legion went on, _"Do you have anything to say for the atrocity that you've committed against your kingdom?"_

From where he stood, Corvus heard nothing but sad and wretched pleas for his life. To this, the Crow Prince sighed, "So much for the newest captain of the guard."

"Better then Marax, if you ask me." Cresil murmured, before Legion nodded to the guard behind Zimbar.

With a quick draw of the guard's weapon, Zimbar was struck down, the guard's sword piercing right through his neck. The crowd fell into a hushed murmur, as the body fell over. Not that it was much of a surprise, this had been Legion's third public execution this week.

 _"Demons like this disgust me."_ Legion shouted, kicking the body over into the crowd, causing them to take a step back _, "Spending the last few seconds of their lives begging and pleading for mercy. There is nothing worse than a demon that cannot live up to the common standard."_

Finally, Legion raised a single hand into the air, each guard drew their weapon. Corvus couldn't help but watch, amused with how scared each filthy Rifter looked.

Served them right.

Legion threw his hand down, _"With each execution,"_ Legion said, staying stone faced even with all of the demon blood being spilt behind him, as well as the last feral growls and moans that came out as a dying breath _, "We grow closer to overcoming the flawed grounds of the Rift."_

While Corvus agreed to it, he couldn't help but sigh. Legion was far from inept, he sure could be a bit flamboyant when he wanted to be, "There's no subtlety in his speech."

"I don't think that the crowds care." Arc noted.

 _"One by one, piece by piece, we will have Rift slowly but surely wiped from hell_ ," Legion went on, moving to kick the other bodies off of the stage, which only helped the crowd to grow ever so slowly in volume, _"Till all we have in only the finest of demons, all of you nobles, to walk the lands of hell and revolt once again against the Lord when called upon!"_

With that, Corvus sighed, shaking his head, "What a waste of time." He sighed, walking out of the box. While this wasn't his first execution, this had been one of the first where Legion took time to make a speech, much less control the crowd in such a way. He has talent. "

"Legion has always tended to rule in the background," Arc went on. Corvus couldn't help but sigh, he was probably still going on with his stupid theory, "It's a wonder that, if he's always had this so-called talent, why he would show it off now."

"That demon has great talent." Cresil murmured in agreement, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I never was much of a people speaker myself."

Corvus scoffed, not that anyone would like to listen to him anyway.

As for Legion, for the longest time, the entire kingdom had been cornered in by the Rift, since it was the outer rim of hell. The only thing under them was a deep and dark pit, one of the only other ways that a demon can die.

It is said that, from Cresil, Surface Smugglers have found pockets in that void, holes in the dark that could and would leave to the realm of earth, and from there, heaven.

That was half of the reason that Surface Smuggling was against the law. Satan wanted no one to have even the slightest of chances of taking down the Holy One. He was sure that that couldn't be the only answer, but it was the only one that had been publicly given.

"I heard that, since Legion's taking more control over the guard as well as the military power, he'll be ordering for an extraction team for the Rifters." Cresil cackled, "I still don't know what they plan to do. Push them off the side?"

"It's much better than a night in the dungeons." Corvus sighed, walking on.

"Still, I believe that a simple beheading would have sent the same message." Arc sighed, "But, then again, Legion seemed to enjoy the attention."

"Or maybe you're just overthinking it." Corvus shot back, eyes narrowed. While he didn't like Legion, it was unwise to speak ill of Satan's second in command, even if you were a prince. Not to mention that his hatred towards Arc was at a much higher bar then Legion's could ever be, "It would be best for you to drop the matter as a whole."

"It would be best if you were to butt out of this so called "matter" when it has nothing to do with you." Arc scowled right back, pushing his glasses up, "Even if it does affect Kuro; not that you'd care either way."

"Do not speak as if you know every little detail, you dirty cockroach." Corvus nearly shouted through close teeth, grabbing the collar of Arc's dress shirt, his other fist curled, as if ready to throw a punch.

It was Cresil who tried to ease the tension with an awkward laugh, "I'd appreciate it if you don't joke around about the whole roach thing; my friend's father was a roach demon. Life isn't easy for them."

Corvus normally didn't resort to violence, but at that moment, he wasn't sure whose to punch first, "I still don't see why you bother with the company of an imbecile."

"At least his company is better than anything you have to offer." Arc nearly spat into his face, before smirking rather darkly, "No wonder Kuro prefers my company over yours; at least I'm not a controlling sadistic pervert."

"Better me then a manipulative two-faced spoon-fed brat." Corvus shot right back, before letting go of the collar, "The only reason I don't go farther than an altercation is because I doubt that Kuro would like me anymore if I stoop as low as to leave your face without its skin."

"Good to know you've grown a bit of a self-conscious." Arc growled, before looking behind the Crow Prince, "Would you look at that, it would seem as if we've arrived at your room."

Corvus turned, thanking all things damned that he didn't have to endure the two any longer, "A Goodnight to the two of you." Corvus murmured, not bothering to face either of them, as he opened the door to his room.

"A good riddance to you, too." Arc droned on right back, the two sharing a glare that only held hatred before Corvus shut the door.

* * *

When he returned to the room, he was surprised by the smell. It was light, but even he couldn't mistake the light smell of liquor.

Going to the bed, Corvus sighed. Lying there on the bed, with an open bottle sitting on the nightstand, Kuro slept. She seemed out cold, even drooling a bit on the sheets. Sighing, Corvus moved to clean the mess, making sure that the bottle wouldn't spill nor waste, before carrying Kuro up.

It still amazed him how light she was, to the point where he couldn't help but wonder if, maybe, she was just a bit malnourished. Shaking his head, he adjusted the sheets, before lying her back down, pulling the sheets over her. After changing into something more confortable, he got into bed next to her, about to fall asleep, only to have Kuro mumble something.

"You really shouldn't drink right before you go to sleep, darling." Corvus murmured, "Even if we don't get drunk easily."

"I know." Kuro murmured sleepily, as if she'd fall asleep at any moment, "It helps me to relax. It's better to go to sleep out of it rather than going to sleep angry. At least in my book."

"You really are an odd one." Corvus murmured, noticing how docile she looked. This much calmer side of her was nice, he had to admit.

"Oh, I never got the chance to thank you."

"For what?" Corvus asked, a bit confused. Maybe she drank more then she thought, or maybe she wasn't too good at holding her liquor.

"The whole knife thing, from earlier." Kuro yawned, stretching out. He couldn't help but see the cat in her, "If it wasn't for you, I'd probably have a new hole in my forehead. So, thanks, I guess."

While it was blatantly obvious that she wasn't one to normally show gratitude, knowing that, even in a drunken state, she was thanking him was a pretty big leap, "You're welcome Kitten."

He laughed when she grumbled at the nickname, waiting for her to say some snarky comeback, only for nothing.

He looked over, a soft smile on his face when he saw she'd fallen asleep, "Don't worry, my dear." Corvus sighed, brushing the hair out of her face, before lying down behind her.

"I'll make you properly mine in due time."

He couldn't help but wait for her potent rebound, even if she was asleep. She's spoken in her sleep many times before, sometimes managing to make a full sentence, while others just seemed to be an odd jumble of words.

"Use the force Harry, said Gandalf."

Corvus couldn't help but be impressed; that had been a bit of both.

Shaking his head, he chuckled to himself, before sliding an arm under her waist, pulling her just a bit closer.

In due time, she would warm up to him. He did have a lot to offer her: riches beyond her wildest dreams, more fame then a mere Rifter could imagine. And while it didn't look like it was working yet. Surely, she'd would be at least a bit allured by the idea of money and power.

Every demon was.

* * *

 **...I'm a banana...**

 **...If you are also banana...**

 **...Leave a review if you are also banana...**

 **...I am a banana that survives on reviews...**

 **Erin: I still can't believe that we were written into life by...that.**

 **Lilith: I'm sure that a lot of the others agree.**

 **Me:...I, banana, leave you now...hope you enjoyed...bai bai...**

 **(INSERT BANANA FACE)**


	10. His Fair Lady, Once an outsider

**Hi hi!**

 **So, while I don't recently own a laptop, I do have a friend that I plan to see every now and then, and she allows me to use her laptop.**

 **This chapter be for that special friend who wishes to remain unknown, for without her I wouldn't be able to update at all.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

"Do enjoy your stay here!"

Kuro held the key to her new apartment, before letting out a relieved sigh. She wasn't sure how long she'd have to keep up the façade of a happy young adult, or how she'd have to be all surprised when she found out about the discount on the place.

When it came down to it, she couldn't care less.

Either way, a steal was a steal.

Walking into her new room, Kuro took a deep breath in, looking it all over and taking it all in.

It was a nice small place, the door leading into the small living room, with a door in the back to lead to the bedroom, which had a small bathroom adjoining it. Sighing, Kuro threw her bag on the side, noting how spick and span the place looked, before grinning to herself.

That wouldn't be the case for much longer.

She didn't bother to kick off her shoes, before crashing down onto the couch, tired. While cheaper than the usual place, even in the Rift, it had taken a considerable amount of energy to… "generate" the funds needed.

While it wasn't her best attribute, Kuro was pretty damn good when it came down to sneaking around. As she'd heard someone once say somewhere at some time, "You could have all the talents in the world; the man with a single expertise will still win if he can use it for more than one thing."

While the math behind that demon's logic didn't really match-up, who was Kuro to tell the old geezer what was right and wrong?

So, about three days of shoplifting, selling the goods, and running from the few shops that noticed the shady teen in the back of the store, she'd finally had enough to buy her own place.

She couldn't help but feel proud. She was unmistakably lazy, to the point where she questioned even bothering to get a house. There were a lot of homeless groups in the Rift, and she had just found a nice patch of gravel to call home.

But, at the same time, she had nothing better to do with her life.

Not to mention the constant fighting, stealing, and much more.

So, in the end, being lazy on this couch was a huge step from being lazy on the streets.

Being how she wasn't the best when it came to making good friends, she jumped when a knock came to the door. She searched her hoodie for something to fight with if it came down to it, only to have a paper clip in her pocket.

Cause that would make a huge difference in a fight.

She nearly screamed when the knocking continued, tossing the paper clip. She was supposed to be safer with a roof over her head, but no, somehow the maniacs still managed to find her!

"Don't pretend you're not in there." A male voice said from beyond the doorway, causing Kuro to freeze, "We have matters to discuss."

Her feet forced their way over to the door, unwillingly pulling Kuro with them. Against her own will, her hands went for the doorknob, slowly but surely opening it. Peeking outside, a tall demon stood, aero blue eyes against dark violet.

Kuro cleared her throat, "Umm...Hi?"

"Good morning to you, Matron." The male said in an almost stiff yet bored voice. He sounded like a formal gent, especially since he'd used words like "Matron", what the hell even was a Matron? "I am your new neighbor, Valefor."

Kuro looked the dude over, a small smile on her face from still thinking of all the things that Matron could mean, "Well, good to ya, the name's-."

"Lilium Akuhei, but you prefer Kuro." Valefor filled in before she could, much to her dismay, "You've spent most of your life on the streets, not to mention that you're quite the agile one," Vale went on, as if this knowledge was as easy as preschool math, "You've also been known to be a decent larcenist."

"Who told you that?" Kuro asked, out of both spite and curiosity. You know, two things that cats are known for.

"Do you think that you got this apartment on a whim?" Vale sighed, shaking his head. Kuro couldn't help but notice the tiger tail whipping about behind him, almost out of agitation, "I know a lot of people; you would do well to remember that."

"Is that a threat?" Kuro growled.

"Think of it as a warning." Vale corrected, before looking off, "Good day to you."

"Good riddance." Kuro scowled, slamming the door shut behind her. Some nice people they got here. Heck, most of the people in the slums were nicer than that. Sure, they did it to earn trust and in turn steal your shit when you're not looking, but at the same time, at least they tried to act nice to your face.

"Fucker thinks that I'll listen to him." Kuro grumbled, putting her things away. She didn't own much, just a black tank top here, and of course, her favored ruby ring.

She had no idea where she'd gotten it from, but for as long as she's had it, she's made her way out of some pretty bad situations. She liked to think of it as a good luck charm, but at the same time, a jewel like that is pretty good at drawing the attention or other thieves like her. She just liked to keep it in her pockets, whether it be in her jeans or her hoodie. Normally she'd only put it on in a life or death situation, it helped her to feel safe and lucky.

Better a gash then death, right?

Finally, making sure that everything was in its right place, she wasted no time dropping to the floor, out cold.

It took a lot for a lazy cat demon to work so long both physically and mentally.

(LINE)

She woke to the squeak of a door opening. She lazily got up, rubbing her eyes, only to look at her still closed door, confused. Where was the noise coming from?

She jumped at the sound of a door being slammed shut, before getting up for the door, placing her ear on the door, she could hear footsteps walking away.

With a small grin on her face, she drew her red hoodie on just a big tighter, ring in her pocket. She made sure to have her pocket knife on her, before slowly opening the door. She caught a glimpse of a tiger tail turning down the hallway, before closing the door behind her. One hand was in her pocket, holding the knife tightly. As if how he acted wasn't suspicious enough, Kuro couldn't help but be curious.

She followed him down the stairs, not making a single sound as she did. She'd shadowed him out the door, down the road, which was rather desolate at the moment. There was no one but a few of the common homeless, and even then, none of them noticed her.

Just as planned.

It was a while down the road that she'd realized how many times he's looped around the same building, how many times he'd go in one direction only to suddenly either stop for a moment or backtrack. To which, Kuro would get out of sight, almost always at the last second.

Each time, as if it were a ritual, she'd pull the ring out and kiss the jewel. You'd do the same if you felt it was fucking magical.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours upon hours in the longest five minutes Kuro has even been through, Vale stopped in front of a bar. She had to stop herself from grinning at the idea of a serious guy like him drinking away his problems, bonus points if he was an emotional and easy drunk.

She watched him walk into the bar, before looking up at the title, "What kind of cool wannabe name is 'Roaring Fire'?" Kuro murmured to herself, before pushing the door open, the loud sounds of rioting, laughing and all-around drunk fun.

Within the bar, the tables were filled with many older men, most of which heavily intoxicated. Kuro wouldn't lie, she wasn't really to age to drink, but she enjoyed a glass or nine every now and then. She was often told that it helped to mellow her rather eccentric personality without looking like too much of a lazy slob.

A perfect in-between.

She spotted him walking into the back of the bar, up what looked to be a flight of stairs. With a sneaky grin on her face, she was about to follow, only to have an obstacle, a rather good looking one at that.

Behind the bar, a demon with medium length rust red hair, almost long enough to tie back. Two copper eyes seemed to be watching everything and nothing and being how it would be impossible to get up the stairs without him noticing, that meant he knew the Tiger turd demon. He seemed to have class, dressing in a rather crisp white dress shirt, as well as black dress pants, shoes and an apron around his waist.

Kuro couldn't help but notice how cute the fox ears looked on the otherwise very serious demon. In fact, she could see a similar "I'm-just-a-bit-better-then-you" feeling he seemed to give off, but at least it seemed a bit subtler.

Not to mention he was a lot more se-

Shaking her head, Kuro scoffed. Not now, dirty thoughts later, get past hot guy now!

She seemed to catch a lucky break, when he dropped the glass he was cleaning. It was still pretty hard to hear the glass shatter against all the people in the bar. She couldn't help but thank all things unholy, as she scampered up the stairs, quickly emerged in the shadows of a dark hallway.

It took a while for her eyes to adjust, before she saw a faint light coming from the door farthest down the hallway.

She crept over, the stone floor making it rather easy to do, before she got to the door.

"...Other than that, not much happening in the Rift." She could hear Vale say, "You know, besides the riots."

"Those have yet to come to outside of Rift." a new voice grinned, she could hear just how stupid happy or drunk the second guy was, "Besides, I've got my eye on most of it; it's all Shax lets me do these days. But how about the nobles?"

"Their hierarchy is growing in both number and money, one more than the other." Vale sighed, the sound of a glass being set down on a wooden table echoing down the hall, "They don't know when to stop."

"Or, you know, they just won't." The other voice chirped, before groaning, "Fuck, I'm out of the good stuff. Speaking of good stuff, I hear you've got a job for us?"

"Yes, indeed I do." Vale murmured, his voice lowering, "You see, there is a new...threat that has moved in recently."

Eyes wide, Kuro covered her mouth, backing away from the door. She knew there was something wrong with this guy, but he was a fucking hitman?

Kuro had been far from perfect when it came to morality, honestly what demon wasn't? But she tried to draw the line when it came to assassination crap. She couldn't really bring herself to kill someone intentionally. Not to say she hasn't before, but she doubted that throwing a massive boulder over her shoulder that just so happened to crack open a skull counted as a count of pre-thought murder.

Even then, she now had her messed up new neighbor wanted her dead. She knew she came off as annoying at times, but this was a pretty damn major when it came to ways to remove her.

Permanently.

"And how do you want this done?" the other voice asked, "Want me stationed on a roof? Or maybe you want Zagan to deal with this?"

"I believe that we should wait for the brute before we agree to anything." Vale murmured.

She noticed the breathing down her neck much too late, before a large hand came down on her shoulder, "You won't have to wait too much longer for me," A rough voice insisted, before pushing her through the door, which gave and opened under her falling weight.

Gulping, Kuro looked up, sheepishly waving, "Um...So, I heard we're plotting my death."

Before her sat Vale at a table, the other being a younger looking boy, maybe a few thousand years older than her. He had a hoodie over his messy chestnut brown hair and hot pink eyes that seemed to glow. His hoodie was a nice dark blue over a plain black shirt and jeans. Upon closer inspection, his fly was down.

"So... She's her?" The hooded guy asked, looking a bit underwhelmed, "I don't see why they need us for her."

Much to Kuro's fear, Vale only smiled, "Ah, no, she's here to make things a lot easier."

At the words, Kuro rose, backing up. She wanted nothing to do with this, she was happy with stealing to make a living. Did she just manage to steal from the wrong damn person!?

"Zagan, hold her here." Vale ordered to the demon behind him.

Slowly turning around, Kuro gulped, looking up at the giant of a demon behind her. He was bald, with a sort of bitter lemon color to his eyes. He wore a long brown coat over his scarred skin, his face not too different, as well as long jeans.

Not thinking, Kuro ducked under the first grab the brute, Zagan, shot out, making a lead between his legs, before rolling away. Before she could get away, a hand came down on the hood, quickly throwing her back into the room.

"We've got a rather lithe one." The other demon grinned, "Hope that doesn't happen only when she's scared."

"Do be silent, Abraxas." Vale sighed, as Zagan pulled the door closed.

Her exit cut off, Kuro pulled her knife out, "Don't get any closer." She growled, threatening to swipe.

"Oh no, the kitty cat has a knife." Abraxas teased, "Don't you know that having a weapon like that is against the law?"

"Rules are meant to be broken." Kuro threatened, "Like your face when I'm through with you."

"You're in no place to make half-assed threats." Vale sighed, before shaking his head, "Besides, you are not the target."

To this, Kuro's eyebrow rose, her knife staying up, "What was all of that from earlier then?"

"That was something else entirely."

Kuro jumped at the new voice, before Zagan pulled the door open, revealing tall dark and-Fuck, Kuro really needed to calm down.

He regarded her without expression, before sighing, "I'd like to speak with her alone."

"You sure you wanna be alone with her when she's armed?" Zagan asked, not looking at all intimidated.

"She won't be an issue." He insisted, before looking to Vale, "I doubt that you've explained anything to her?"

"I wasn't sure what you wanted said." Vale shrugged, before walking out, Abraxas right behind him.

Zagan gave Kuro one last look, before leaving the room. The click from the door meant it was locked.

The fox demon gestured to the table, "Shall we?"

"Don't take it too harshly, but I'm not quick to trust." Kuro murmured, knife down but still held tightly in her grip.

"That is to be expected." The demon sighed, sitting on the opposite side, "But do feel free to sit whenever you please."

"Uh-huh." Kuro murmured, wondering if the seat was now laced with some kind of ass poison, maybe one that could either kill her with deadly diarrhea.

"I'll start with an introduction." He said politely, "My name is Shax, and I own this bar. I am also the unofficial leader of team Yoru."

Kuro cringed at the name. Sure, she'd decided to go through with the rename because, in her eyes, Japanese was badass. But to know that there was a team with a Japanese name and no ninjas was kinda a letdown; when you ignore all the other blaring facts, "They're a myth."

"We plan to become legends, but that's much later." Shax said, his fox ears twitching, "But I assure you, we are very much real."

"And what does this have to do with me if you don't want me dead?" Kuro questioned, still on the wary side. Even if he was hot, she wouldn't hesitate to rip the guy a new one if he tried anything.

"Do you recall a certain Kroni?" Shax asked.

Kuro shuddered at the name, "So what if he's one of the only people to know I stole from him?" Kuro mumbled to herself.

"Well, whatever you took from him was rather important, especially when he's ordered so much of his men on your trail." Shax went on, an eyebrow rose, "If I may ask, what did you take?"

"A whole lot." Was Kuro's only answer.

"Fair enough; you don't trust me." Shax sighed, "And, in truth, I don't trust you."

"Then why not just kill me?" Kuro scoffed, curious, "It looks like it would have been so much easier on you."

"Because Kroni and I have not been on such...good terms either." Shax scowled, "Just last week, one of our team members were found dead in the back alleyway. The only thing left of his being half of his face, as well as the Kroni symbol burned into his eye."

"That's...rather gruesome." Kuro gagged.

"While I don't trust you, I trust him even less." Shax insisted, as Kuor began to take a seat. If she didn't, she was sure that she'd pace, and pacing lead to being tired. She did not want to fall asleep in a place like this, "Surely you know the saying, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"

"I still don't see where I come in on this."

"Okay, I'll rephrase." Shax said, sounding very straightforward, "We can either allow you to leave, but know that you will either be killed because of your knowledge of us or because Kroni got to you before we did."

Not even his professional statue could hide the threat. Before, she could protest, Shax went on, "Or, maybe we could have an alliance against a common threat. Recently, two days before you, someone moved into the same building as you and Vale live. They live at the top floor, and from what Vale has gathered. We will have many openings for when we can get in and out of said room. Not to mention that, if we take this person out, surely Kroni will know we did it, which will put you at risk and lessen the chance of you...I don't know...leaving us half way through?"

"What do you want from me?" Kuro hissed.

She didn't like the smirk on his face, "You work with us to take out Kroni, we provide you with our cover and protection for as long as this alliance lasts."

"I still don't see why you'd choose me, even if Kroni has his eye on me." Kuro said, eyeing Shax's outstretched hand. While demons were known for lying and cheating, they had too much pride to break a deal. If she shook, she'd be bound to the contract, "I don't believe in doing good for the good of others."

"We know of your skill when it comes to taking what you want." Shax said, "Valefor knows how to do the same, but with information. We could use a skill such as yours. It would bring back what our group has lost. So, protection for your skill; do we have a deal?"

Kuro sighed, there really was on way out of this which would end better than what he was proposing. Cursing herself for ever following Vale, she shook the hand, "Just to get this out of the way; if anyone calls me Kitty cat, someone is gonna die."

"I look forward to working with you." Shax smiled a rather charming-good unholy Satan, why did he have to be such a hottie!?

* * *

 **Amy: Aww, does Kuro have a crush?**

 **Kuro: Hard not to when he's decently nice looking.**

 **Amy: I would have assumed that maybe you were into something else, you know?**

 **Kuro:...I'm too tired to be too deeply offended...**

 **Amy: You're like Erin, but a lot more mellow at times.**

 **Kuro: Yeah, sure...I'm much better then...Fire fuck over there...**

 **Erin: Fucking hell you just say?**

 **Amy: Nothing-**

 **Kuro: Just talking 'bout how I'm a lot better then you.**

 **Erin:...**

 **Amy:...**

 **Lilith: Great, another addition to the two idiots.**

 **Erin: You saying that you wanna throw down, fucker?**

 **Kuro: Nah.**

 **Erin:...What?**

 **Kuro: I love talking smack, but I'm not one to get physical just for the heck of it, unless I really am that bored.**

 **Erin:...I swear, you're either really a lazy piece of shit or you're Buddhist.**

 **Azazel: Woah, what is that suppose to mean!?**

 **Lilith: Not that I don't agree, but when did you show up?**

 **Azazel: Hahaha, not funny.**

 **Lilith: But seriously, what are you trying to say here, Erin?**

 **Erin: You know, how Buddhist people are really zen? Like, almost high as fuck zen?**

 **Amy: Not even I go that fucking far!**

 **Erin:...I don't get it.**

 **Amy: Don't fuck with religion, man.**

 **Erin: But most of Crimson's shit is satanic.**

 **Kuro: But even then, I don't go out of my way to shit on the Shinto's.**

 **Lilith: How many people do you think are offended by this author's note?**

 **Amy: Gotta agree, it's beginning to look like we stole some lines from South Park.**

 **Erin: Better then-**

 **Lilith: Please stop shitting on other people's religion.**

 **Erin: Says a proxy.**

 **Me: Can we just end here? Before we get flamed for all of this?**

 **Amy: If it bothers you so much, then why don't you just delete it?**

 **Me: Because it's funny in a fucked up way.**

 **Amy: A South Park way, would you say?**

 **Me:...Well...I am currently watching the "South Park Full Episodes" live thingy on YouTube...so yeh...**

 **Hope you guy enjoyed it all, I have no idea when I'll be able to post up the next chapter, or even if I'm going to be able to, but you have my word; I'll do what I can to update as soon as possible.**

 **Till next time, Bai bai!**


	11. His Fair Lady, Distraught

**Hi hi!**

 **Before I begin this chapter, special shout out to MadaraUchiha-Chan, who drew what is now the cover image of My Fair Lady. I have no talent when it comes to drawing, so to know that someone went out of their way tp basically draw me some fanart is a huge thing for me so thank you so much!**

 **Amy: Fuck, so only Kuro gets fanart!?**

 **Erin: Shut up and be jealous somewhere else.**

 **Kuro: *Snoring in the corner on the room***

 **Me: Seriously tho, the fanart makes Kuro look like such a badass that doesn't give when really she's just a huge house cat. But I've wasted enough time!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

The drink before bed was a good idea.

Either hangovers didn't work on her anymore, or she was just so use to the feeling that her mind was telling her to feel nice; but either way, it helped her to remain calm, if only for a few more moments.

"I didn't know that my mate was an alcoholic." Corvus murmured from behind her, pulling her back down when she tried to sit up.

"I wasn't aware that you didn't know when to stop touching me." Kuro scowled, pulling his arm off, "Seriously, the least you can do is give me some space."

"There will be no need for such hostility." Corvus murmured, trying to pull her back down, only to give up when she got off of the bed, "Honestly, at this point, I prefer the calm drunk version."

"As if I would be stupid enough to drink around you." Kuro scowled, before rubbing her arms, "When did it get so cold?"

"Maybe it's because you decided to sleep in your underwear."

No other set of words made Kuro look down, squeaking before diving back under the sheets, covering herself with the blanket, "Stop staring!" Kuro shrieked, face red.

That was one way to wake up.

"Hmm, I REALLY like you when you're drunk." nothing could stop the shudder that went down her neck when Corvus decided to get a bit too close, practically breathing down her neck, "But, while I could, there is a little something I'd like to give; or rather, take away."

"And what would that be?" Kuro growled, trying her best not to give in to how uncomfortable she was. He was too close, and she was wearing too little.

"You could say that what I'm about to offer you is a sort of...deal." Corvus sighed into her neck, making her jump ever so slightly, "When we first meet formally, do you remember how it ended, my dear kitty cat?"

"You were being much too close?" Kuro suggested, "Not much has changed from then."

"Do you not remember?" Corvus asked, before nuzzling into the back of her neck, like a cat vying for attention.

"You bit me like the piece of shit you are?" Kuro growled, moving away from him.

"It is tradition," Corvus pushed past, before an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her down with a yelp from the cat demon, "For the male to mark their female with a special type of...tracking venom, as it is commonly called."

"You put a TRACKER on me!?" Kuro nearly screamed. She would have socked him if he hadn't held her down, leering over her.

"While I did, that is where my deal falls into place." Corvus said, brushing some of her hair out of her face, pulling away right before Kuro could bite him, "The basis of any good relationship is trust, even if it's only a tiny bit between the two."

"What are you getting at?" Kuro scowled, looking away. She couldn't believe that she was so indecent before his...this prideful asshole!

"I will take off the tracker if you'll stay within the walls." Corvus proposed, "Of course, unless I am forced to, I will not confine you within the walls. But, if you plan to go out, I would like to know of it."

Kuro looking off to the side, a pout on her face. She's always hated it when people knew exactly where she was. For the longest time, she has done everything she could to blend in to get what she needed and leave. So, to know that he had a way of following her, there really was no other option.

"Deal." She murmured through her scowl.

Instead of shaking the hand she'd outstretched, still looking away, Kuro nearly screamed when he sank his fangs into her shoulder. She had half the mind to punch him in the side of the head, but before she knew it, he'd withdrawn himself from her, pulling himself off while licking the blood off of his lips, "You taste divine, my dear."

"Shut up, you Prick." Kuro murmured, rubbing her throbbing shoulder as he got up from the bed. He had worn a dress shirt and pants to sleep, which was a lot better than what she was wearing.

"Don't worry about it, the bleeding will stop soon." Corvus sighed, "Now, if you'll need me, I'll be in the library. I have a lot of studying to do so that I can be at my best for our wedding."

Kuro made a face at the word, watching how he was about to leave, only to stop. She growled at him as he got closer to her, that same stupid shit eating smile on his face, before he bent down, kissing her on her forehead, "I will see you later on, my dear."

And with that, he left, closing the door behind him.

Kuro made a face, before childishly wiping at her forehead, hoping to get whatever he'd left behind off. Making sure he wouldn't walk back in, Kuro went ahead to find something to wear. But, upon to opening the door, she was taken aback.

Inside, all of the dresses still hung, but sitting at the bottom was a fresh set of a nice and casual clothing.

"Oh, no fucking way." Kuro murmured, pulling it up before looking it over. It was the very same thing she'd come to this wretched place in, from her red hoodie to a chain necklace. She wasn't sure if you'd warn it, but she really didn't want to think about how they might have gone into her apartment and grabbed what they thought she'd like.

On the side, one last present sat: her knee-high boots.

If she had to choose, she'd good out, without hesitation, in only her hoodie and boots just because of all the blood she'd gotten on the hoodie and all the things she'd crushed under foot.

Without hesitation, she pulled it all on, finally comfortable. Fuck what other demons thought, casual was comfortable.

"Who is it?" Kuro asked when a knock came to the door, a rather quiet one at that.

"May I c-come in?"

Kuro grinned to herself, finally, the only solace in this damn castle is dropping by for a visit, "Nothing be stopping you."

"Umm...okay?" Vanth murmured, pushing the doors open, "I'm here to clean up a bit."

"'Aight." Kuro shrugged, moving back as she pushed a sort of cleaning cart into the room. She couldn't help but laugh a bit, the cart looked like it was three times Vanth's weight, easily.

Vanth walked over to the bed, pulling all of the sheets, pillow cases and the bed sheet, "You want some help, kid?"

"No, it's quite alright." Vanth insisted, quickly tossing on new sheets, smoothing them out, "After this I get to take the rest of the day off!"

"If you say so." Kuro shrugged, not being one to push. If she wanted to be independent then Kuro could respect that, "So…how's your day been?"

"Umm...N-nothing unusual." Vanth murmured, walking over to the window to clean it with a rag, "Woke up early to finish all of my work early."

"I don't like that word." Kuro shivered, "Early is the worst thing known to an apathetic."

Vanth nodded quietly, "It isn't t-the best, but it is life."

"Yeah." Kuro murmured, before curiosity took over, "Can I ask something?"

"Oh course." Vanth insisted, moving about the room to clean.

"How did you end up here?"

Vanth stopped what she was doing, as if shocked by the question, "Look, if you don't want to answer, it's cool-."

"N-n-no, it's o-okay." Vanth murmured, shaking a bit, "I'm t-told that it h-h-helps to speak o-out your p-problems."

Kuro watched as she seemed to go through a mini panic attack, before she shook her head, "I... I used to l-live in the Rift, w-w-with a few friends." Vanth took a deep breath, "We didn't have much, but it was me and four others. We were like a family."

"Sounds like a lot under one roof." Kuro inputted, trying to ease the tension, "Especially in the Rift."

"It was nice." Vanth murmured, "Before them, I was alone, and they helped me...they helped me so much…"

"But it didn't last. One of them, the oldest, we liked to treat him like the father figure." Vanth laughed softly to herself, "He made it his job to be able to do the most when it came to providing money."

"I know how and where that goes." Kuro said, knowing that Vanth wouldn't have to explain whatever this demon went through. It was simple for someone like her, but to force Vanth to go back through something like that must have been a bit too much.

Vanth nodded, rubbing the back of her head, "He...He always was a follower of Avarice...He went too far." Vanth murmured, "He'd always take it one step farther, steal just this much more, swindle just these many more people...He went too far."

"He thought that a noble who just so happened to walk into Rift would be a great target." Vanth shuddered, looking Kuro dead in the eyes, "It's hard to steal from Satan's second in command."

"So, what happened?" Kuro pressed.

"He ran back to where we were, and we all got caught." Vanth murmured, eyes going wide, as if remembering something she really didn't want to, "One of us g-got out, but the rest of us got taken in for...you know…"

"Yeah." Kuro murmured, walking Vanth over to the bed, having her sit down, "No need to explain. Already know about how damn bloodthirsty these guys can be."

"He was taken away by some of the higher ups." Vanth murmured, "I haven't seen him since. A-a-and t-the o-other t-t-two...They...T-they…"

"So…What happened to you?" Kuro pushed past, rubbing the girl's shoulders as she began to shake, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"N-no," Vanth gasped, as if someone was choking the air out of the poor tiny girl, some of her hair falling out of place from how much she was shaking, "They decided to keep me around. I don't know h-how, and they n-never really explained why, b-but they did." Vanth sighed, "If I'm h-honest though, I wish I w-went with them, y-you know?"

"Well...Have you seen the other two around?" Kuro asked, hopeful.

Vanth shook her head, "If I'm lucky, she's somewhere out there, not knowing if any of us are still alive." Vanth forced out a laugh, the sound more like a dying cat then a laugh, "It's kinda funny, isn't it?"

"Stop that." Kuro muttered, whacking her in the back of her head, much to her surprise, "There's no need to act thought about it. There's also no need to laugh it off and pretend that you're okay with it either."

Vanth sniffled, trying her damn best not to cry, before looking up at Kuro, "But t-that's w-w-what you d-do."

"I only do it because that's just what works for me." Kuro shrugged, patting her back. She was total crap when it came to comfort, but she was decent when it came to making people laugh, "I've grown use to laughing at myself to feel better, good or bad. I treat life like a joke because, to me, that's what it is. This doesn't work for everyone, so don't bother trying to become me, okay?"

Vanth nodded, before looking back down at her hands, "I…I'm just...I'm sorry…"

Kuro scoffed, before dragging Vanth onto her shoulder, "Just let it out."

"H-huh?"

"You're about to cry." Kuro grinned, looking off, "Trembling lip? Watery eyes?" Kuro threw an arm over Vanth's side, "Go ahead, I won't judge."

She had expected Vanth to slowly give in, maybe a few tears here and there, but she'd stay strong and refuse to cry. So, it was a huge surprise when Vanth turned and bawled into Kuro's shoulder, snot and all.

Kuro couldn't help but be a bit confused, she had little to no clue as to help someone that was crying. What do you do when someone cries on you? Kuro hesitantly began to pat her back, "Umm, there there?" Kuro murmured, cringing when Vanth began to cry louder.

Well, she had said to let it out.

After what felt like hours, Vanth slowly began to calm down, "T-thank you." She murmured, forcing herself to stand up, "I needed that." Vanth smiled softly, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"Ah, yeah, sure, no problem." Kuro grinned right back. Sure, she didn't know what in the hell she'd managed to do, but fake it till you make it, right?

Vanth jumped when another knock came to the door, "Hey, Vanth, I heard you were in here!"

The voice made Kuro cringe. It was like every angry lunch lady poured into that one voice, with a dash of angry Asian parent, and maybe a hint of that women's special time of the month.

In other words, Kuro did not like this person.

"Give me a moment." Kuro sighed, standing up, walking over to the door, pushing it open to reveal a rather surprised woman. Said demon was on the shorter side, to the point where even Kuro was taller, "Can I help you?"

"Princess Lilim!" The cried out, getting down on her knees, "I'm so sorry to bother you, but I was told that Vanth is in there?"

"She is." Kuro sighed. There were points where all the royal treatment got redundant, but there was always that one person that kissed ass a little too hard. She had to admit, sometimes it was a funny thing, "And why do you ask?"

"I'll need to speak with her outside." The women requested, not daring to look up to meet Kuro's eyes.

"I guess I can allow it." Kuro sighed, trying her best to act like the most basic of bitches, "I'll want to talk to her once you finish."

"Of course!" Kuro then motion for Vanth, who had just finished cleaning up, to come over, "She just wants a word with you."

Vanth nodded, walking out. The other lady politely closed the door, to which Kuro pressed her ear up against the door. She really didn't like this lady.

"So, you think that you can just go ahead and run up here to hide away, huh? Is that it?"

Now she fucking hated this lady.

"N-no, Ms. Sarai."

"So that means that we'll stop wasting time and go out to buy groceries, right?"

"B-but, it's n-n-not-."

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, Vanth." Kuro scowled at the tone she was using. What she'd give for her old sniper, or even that chain set that Zagan had gotten her.

So many different ways to deal with a bitch like that.

"Now, you'll head into the market so that we have decent food for tomorrow's dinner; there will be a party thrown for the Princess." The lady, Ms. Sarai, scoffed at the last word.

"Y-yes Ms. Sarai."

"Good. Now, off you go. The sooner you come back, the sooner I can have you cleaning the kitchen. All twenty of them."

"B-but that's not my job today, Eryn was supposed to-."

Kuro nearly threw the door down when she heard the smack of skin on skin. This bitch went ahead and slapped Vanth, "Stop wasting time and get to work."

"Yes, Ms. S-S-Sarai."

The moment those loud heels were outside earshot, Kuro pushed the door open. Vanth had fallen to her knees, holding her face.

With a sigh, Kuro helped Vanth up, "Who the fuck does she think she is!?" Kuro growled, ushering Vanth back in, "You holding up okay, kid?"

Kuro winced when Vanth moved her hand away, a long red mark going from the bottom of the left side of her nose all the way to the end of her chin, "Shit, bitch should learn to cut her nails." Kuro murmured, walking to grab a cloth from her little desk, before going into the bathroom to wet it, "Same with her temper."

"She's forced to d-do a lot." Vanth sighed, eyes drooping. Kuro really wanted to find out who and where that lady was, having forced Vanth through that right after her crying fest, "S-she runs a lot o-of the labor here. She's in t-the same boat as us, s-she just has a l-lot more pressure on her."

"That wouldn't stop me from fucking her up." Kuro growled, cleaning up the mess that the bitch left on Vanth's face, "God, might go ahead and use her for live target practice."

"P-please don't, that's r-really gruesome." Vanth murmured.

"No promises." Kuro grinned meticulously, "I don't care much for two faced bitches."

The two waited in silence, before Kuro finally pulled away, "It's not too deep, so it should be fine."

"Good." Vanth sighed, getting up, "I n-need to go o-out now."

She then pulled a list from her dress pocket, unravelling it. Kuro's jaw nearly dropped when it bounced down to the floor, still not stopping for a few feet until Vanth sighed, "I think t-that s-she wants t-to kill me. You c-can only find half of this s-stuff from R-rift."

"And you're expected to go?" Kuro mumbled, looking over her shoulder at the list, before making a face. She seriously doubted that they needed that much Cyanide for dinner tomorrow.

Kuro shook her head, before walking out, grabbing Vanth's wrist, "Come on." She mumbled, walking out of the room, not bothering to close the door.

"W-where are we going?" Vanth asked, as Kuro lead her down the stairs behind her.

"Well, I'm not gonna just let you walk around Rift alone." Kuro murmured, hoping and praying to whatever unholy things out there that she was going the right way. Even if Corvus had given her a tour, all of the directions seemed to blend together in her head. It wasn't easy to be present when your mind looked like this half the time:

 _"Hey, Kuro."_

 _"Yeah, Kuro?"_

 _"Where is the yarn ball, Kuro?"_

 _"Fuck, I don't know, Kuro! Why don't you go ahead and ask Kuro?"_

 _"I just asked Kuro and Kuro said that you had it, Kuro!"_

 _"Well why are you listening to Kuro, Kuro? Well, all know that Kuro is filled with shit!"_

 _"Hey, don't say that about Kuro!"_

 _"No one asked, Kuro!"_

 _"Hey, wait, Kuro."_

 _"Yeah? What do you need, Kuro?"_

 _"Does anyone have any idea where we are and what we're doing?"_

 _"...Oh shit, Kuro…"_

"Kuro?"

"I don't know where the damn yarn ball is!" Kuro grumbled, much to Vanth's confusion, before finally coming to a stop, "Here it is!"

Kuro pushed the doors open, a very tiny and scared Vanth right behind her, "Yo, Crow crapper, you in here?"

The library looked to be a large maze of bookshelves, some of them so high up that they needed those fancy stairs of wheels to grab the books from the very top.

In the middle of the stupid maze, a large dark mahogany table was set, a lamp sitting in the very middle, making the room just light enough to read and yet just dark enough to be ominous.

Corvus sat there with two other people, both of which glaring at Kuro, who couldn't care less. Corvus, who sat with his back towards them, looked up, a surprised look on his face, "Yes? Do you need something, Kitten?"

"Can I go out with Vanth?" Kuro asked, slowly walking up behind him. Just this once, she was willing to go ahead and ignore the pet name. If it meant that she could go outside, she could do this much.

"…Your personal maid?" Corvus sighed, standing up. Kuro couldn't help but think that the set of reading glasses he had on looked pretty damn good on him, "If you'd like. I will have some of the guard-."

"Actually, could you not?" Kuro asked, a bit sheepish. She was sure she'd be able to go and get out, but so wondered how far she could push him. At the same time, she didn't want to step over that line.

Sighing, Corvus held his forehead, shaking his head, "...It is common protocol to have someone of royalty to be kept under watch at all times."

"Technically, I'm not 'of royalty' till we're married and all the bullshit." Kuro shot back, "Come on, please?"

Corvus gave her an emotionless look, too which she could feel Vanth shuddering behind her, before Corvus sighed, "I am willing to let you go out, but you must first do something for me."

"...What do you want?" Kuro asked, curious.

While the way that he smiled was unnerving, she couldn't help but think that he looked decently good with those glasses-ack, no, no thinking like that. It was the atmosphere, yeah, definitely the atmosphere.

"You can go out if you'll give me a kiss." Corvus said, his smirk widening ever so slightly.

Kuro made a face, "...Do I have to?"

"How badly do you want to go out?"

While Kuro wanted nothing to do with the arrogant Crow, she wasted no time to stand on her tippy toes, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, before dashing out of the room, "I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day!" Was all she shouted before dashing out of the library, shutting the doors behind her.

Kuro groaned, holding her face, "The things I'm willing to do for you."

Vanth shook, her knees looking like they're about to give out, "I'm s-so s-s-sorry, it's m-my f-f-fault-."

"Don't worry." Kuro shrugged, shaking her head, "I said it once, I'll say it again. I'm not gonna let you walk around Rift alone; especially when the guard looks like they're trying to take control."

Vanth looked like she was about to speak, only to stop, the sound of loud metal steps slowly getting closer. Vanth peeked out from behind Kuro, only to hide back behind her.

Kuro turned to face the guy, only to grin at the familiar armor, "Hey, my dude Marax! What be good?"

"Princess Lilim." Was all he said, getting down on one knee.

Kuro scoffed, a grin still on her face, "Come on, I know I've asked for just Kuro."

"My apologies, Princess Kuro."

"Oh, my Satan." Kuro groaned, "No Princess, No Mistress, no title! Just Kuro, it's not that difficult."

"My apologies." Marax murmured, getting off of his knee, "But, I do have something for you."

Kuro watched as he pulled a piece of paper, a letter, from some sort of metal pocket, maybe? She didn't know, nor did she want to dwell on it too much.

"Please don't be some sort of fan mail." Kuro groaned, holding the letter, before looking up at Marax, "Who is it from?"

"Broker."

To that, Kuro's eyes widened, as she looked over the letter, "Did he say anything else?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

While the way he said it sounded a bit harsh, she also knew better then to look into it, "Thank you."

Marax gave her a small nod, before leaning over, "Oh, good evening to you, Vanth."

"H-h-hello Mr. M-Marax." Vanth whispered, holding on tightly to Kuro's sleeve.

Marax gave one last small bow, before walking on.

Once he was gone, Vanth sighed, looking over the letter Kuro held, "W-what is that for?"

"I'm about to find out." Kuro murmured, shaking her head, "I can't believe that we're still using these code names."

Kuro opened the letter, making sure that no one was around, before reading it over. Just from scanning it, she could tell it was Vale. Only he had a sort of fetish for curvy words, as if his hand was trying to dance ballet on the damn paper.

 _The situation is becoming dire. We are under a code Storm. We request your arrival at base._

"Fucking shit." Kuro grumbled, walking down the grand staircase, "I leave for less than a week, and already shit is beginning to fall apart."

"W-what's going o-on?" Vanth asked, following Kuro out the large entrance of the palace.

"We're gonna do your run for food and cyanide and crap," Kuro mumbled, pushing past the gates, hands in her pockets, a dead look in her eye, "But I have to drop by a place real quick.


	12. His Fair Lady, Finally back home

**Hi hi!**

 **Another random update! Yay!**

 **Okay, before I forget, I'm sure most of us know about that Black butler Book of Atlantic movie, which is coming out very soon. So, I found out not too long ago that the dubbed version comes out on my birthday!**

 **I cannot explain how happy I am to find this out, so you all know what I'll be doing!**

 **To anyone else who'd like to know, the movie will be playing in some theaters on June 12 for subbed and June 14 for dubbed.**

 **Alright, enough wasting your time, let's go!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

It had been so long since Kuro had last felt this safe.

She walked to the Rift with what felt like a newly found pride, head held high as if to say, "come at me bro".

She couldn't help but notice how Vanth was the exact opposite, looking like she'd snap and book it. She wouldn't let go of the back of Kuro's hoodie, squeezing it whenever someone that looked their way got a bit too close.

You could see the difference from the rich people land to Rift, how the rich tall shops turned into much smaller tents with tables that held all sorts of stuff you'd never find in a rich people shop.

It was like a mall compared to a farmer's market.

The only difference being that, instead of food, it was a lot of illegal shit.

"I don't think t-that they're a-a-allowed to sell that." Vanth murmured, looking over one tent, only to squeal and turn around when she'd caught the seller's eye.

"You should know better than questioning it." Kuro sighed, looking over her shoulder to give him a look, before walking on.

But, the deeper she got into the Rift, something felt...wrong.

Walking down one road, she stopped, watching as a troupe of five guards walked past. Each of them held weapons, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.

"I don't like this." Kuro murmured, before making a quick turn down an alley, "Come on, I need to drop by my old place first." Looking around once more, she pulled her hood over her head. Even if there were no guards, there was no doubt that some of the locals knew exactly who she was.

The last thing that she wanted was to be attacked.

Kuro hurried on when Vanth didn't question her, pulling her through the alleyway, before going up a flight of stairs, walking down a hallway. Kuro looked around, reaching into the crack of the wall, pulling the key out, "I always lose it if it's on me." Kuro murmured, unlocking the door, before pushing it open.

Kuro walked in, taking a deep breath. It was good to be home. This was the place where she could go around and sleep wherever she wanted to or sleep in to however long she wanted.

Looking around, she made sure to look for any signs of anyone going through her stuff, before kicking over her old coffee table, "Fuck, someone has been in here."

"H-how can y-y-you tell?" Vanth questioned, looking scared to death of the place.

"This table has been moved." Kuro murmured, "You can check the indents that the table has left in the carpet. They're on the side rather than right under."

Kuro then looked over her bookshelf, dragging her finger along the top, "Whoever it was, they decided to do a bit of cleaning." Kuro murmured, before stopping, "Fucking shit, I swear to Satan." She growled to herself, going on as she got closer to her bedroom. Throwing it open, she cringed.

Her bed had been made.

"Did they-?" Kuro growled, ripping her dresser open, only to scowl, all of her rags for clothing had been ironed and hung, "-They did." She growled, throwing it shut.

She then looked under her bed, pulling a bag out from under her bed, throwing it over her shoulder. In the event that something happened, such as a huge Rift purge by chance, she'd have a chance to get some much-needed things before being forced to leave.

Ripping it open, she grinned rather evilly, before pulling out the heavy looking chain links, "I haven't worn these in years."

She pulled them on, when finished, it looked like casual wear, just to look nice. Zipping up the bag, she threw it back over her shoulder, before walking out, into the living room, "Alright, I have what I need, let's go."

"Where'd y-you get the chains?" Vanth asked, watching as Kuro pulled the couch to the side, grabbing what looked to be a crowbar.

"From a group of friends." Kuro murmured, tugging at the ones that hung around her arms, "It was like...proof of initiation."

"Initiation?" Vanth murmured, following Kuro out, watching her pocket the key, "This s-sounds more like a cult t-then a group of friends."

To this, Kuro grinned, throwing her head back with laughter, "Yeah, let's stop it at that and call them a cult. Better than the truth."

Vanth didn't ask, as Kuro lead her back down the stairs, scratching the back of her head, "I don't know about you, but I never did get use to how damn hot it is down here."

Once they were free from the apartment, Vanth cleared her throat, "Hey, Kuro?"

"Hmm?"

"C-can I ask y-you a question?"

"No."

"O-oh." Vanth muttered, hiding her face, "S-sorry."

"I was just fucking with you." Kuro grinned, slapping her in the back, "Go on, I don't bite. Much."

"W-w-well," Vanth murmured, awkwardly rubbing her hands together, "If y-you got the chains from y-your...friends, then w-where did you get y-your ring? Did Prince Crow give that to you?"

Kuro shook her head, "If he was the one to give it to me, I wouldn't wear it 24/7."

She looked over the red ruby ring, "If I'm honest, I have no idea where it came from. All I remember is that I've had it forever."

"O-oh." Vanth murmured, "I was j-just wondering...I haven't seen too many rings, but it doesn't look like anything I've seen on the hands of any nobles."

"Who knows; maybe I stole it from Satan himself at some point in my life." Kuro shrugged, much to Vanth's discomfort.

"I c-can never tell when y-you're kidding or n-not." Vanth grumbled, trying to look irritated, "Y-you can't say that k-kind of stuff here! E-even if we're only in R-rift!"

"We both know that no one really cares. Everyone here is either ready to fight or seriously chill." Kuro shrugged, "It's like Hawaii."

"W-wait, where?"

"Don't worry about it." Kuro shook her head, before looking up at the bar, "We're here."

Vanth looked over the building, "Roaring fire? Sounds familiar."

"Shax probably stole it from some Rock band generator online." Kuro shrugged, knocking on the door.

Before Vanth could ask, the door opened, "I'm sorry, but we're closed. Even if we weren't, this is no place for little girls."

"What if this little girl has a better sharpshooter eye then you could ever wish for, Broker?" Kuro scoffed, looking up at the tiger demon.

While he didn't visibly flinch, Kuro could see the surprise in his eyes, "Well, this is not a conversation to be having out here." He murmured, ushering her in.

Vanth tried to follow, only to yelp, jumping back when Vale whipped his knife out, the jagged blade right under her chin, "I see you've got vermin following you around."

"It's my personality." Kuro joked, shrugging.

"Well, trash does attract more trash." Vale sighed, looking just as nonchalant, as if he wasn't holding a knife under the chin of a child.

"Okay, on the legit, let her be. She's with me." Kuro sighed, waving him off.

Vale looked over Vanth, before pulling back, "If she ends up being a spy." He growled, tail flicking about behind him, before closing the door behind her, walking off.

"Don't mind him," Kuro said, trying to console the shaking girl, "He's either trying to look cool or he's acting like a grouch. I'd call him grandpa, but he isn't Reinhardt worthy just yet."

Vanth didn't bother questioning her, as Kuro lead her over to the bar countertop, "H-h-he had a-a knife...a-a knife…"

"Okay, you should probably stay down here then." Kuro sighed, having her sit down at the counter, "Oh, and give me your list."

Vanth pulled the list out of her dress pocket, hands still shaking, "K-Kuro?"

"Yeh?" Kuro asked, looking over the list.

"I'm g-getting a b-bad feeling down h-here." Vanth murmured, holding herself, "P-please don't leave me d-down here alone?"

Kuro looked around, before shaking her head awkwardly, "I know that it feels odd, being down here alone." Kuro murmured, watching as Vale stalked back up the stairs. So much from a friend, "But what we're gonna go over is probably gonna be worse. MUCH worse. It's safer down here, so just...Just stay down here?"

Vanth looked like she didn't agree, and yet she nodded, "O-okay." She murmured. If Kuro had to guess, Vanth didn't like to speak against someone that spoke with authority.

Honestly, Kuro couldn't blame her, "Look, I'll go ahead and get your list done, you just stay and chill down here. 'Aight?"

When Vanth nodded, Kuro flashed her one last grin, tossing her bag to Vanth's feet, before climbing up the stairs.

The hallway was as dark as usual, the door at the end wide open, for once. She could hear the others talking, only to stop at one particular voice. She shook her head, no way, it couldn't be him…

She walked into the room, eyes going wide, nearly dropping the list in her hand, "...Abraxas?"

At the sound of his voice, a dude with a familiar looking hoodie turned, his eyes widening, "Well would you look at that, Kitty cat is finally-."

He was forced to stop talking when Kuro reared her hand, backhanding him across the face. She could hear Zagan laughing from behind her, but at the moment, she wanted to deal with this...asshole, "Looks like the Panda is finally back." Kuro hissed, grabbing him by the collar, "Nice of you to drop by after being absent for a long ass time."

"Kuro, please do play nice." Shax sighed from the front of the table, his usual spot. As always, his bodyguard was on his left, best friend on his right, "I managed to find him and call him in."

"And why the fuck did you bother?" Kuro scowled, giving Abraxas a look, and yet, her sneer was more of a smirk, "I thought that I got the sharpshooter position."

"He asked me to come in to fill in for you." Abraxas grumbled, causing him to leer away when Kuro shot him the glare of death.

"So, the replacement got replaced by the original she was brought in to replace?" Kuro scowled.

"If we could all calm down," Vale scowled, giving the two a look, before finally relaxing into his chair, holding his forehead, "Then maybe Shax can explain."

"Thank you, old friend." Shax mumbled, before looking everyone over, "We managed to call Abraxas in from his...side hobby so that we could have a full team once again. But," He added quickly, not being the only one to notice how her grip on her chains tightened, "We also needed someone else who knew the layout of the castle."

"But we have Vale." Kuro muttered, no longer infuriated, but also nowhere near okay with it.

"Vale has connections." Shax corrected.

"We I've been in and out, on multiple occasions." Abraxas grinned, hoping that she wouldn't beat his ass, "Ya see? We're trying to bust your ass out."

Kuro wasn't sure what to make of that. Sure, Abraxas had bounced the second that he knew he wasn't needed to do what he wanted, but it did mean a lot for him to agree to stopping by to help.

Even if it was only after she was forced into a marriage with a prideful Crow demon.

"I guess you're not in the wrong." Kuro murmured, giving Abraxas a look, "But, I know how you can be in the right."

"And that would be?" Abraxas questioned, half scared that Kuro would cave his head in.

"Be a dear and go get everything on this list."

Abraxas looked over the list Kuro was holding out, watching out it had bounced onto the ground, before looking over to Shax with pleading eyes.

Shax shook his head, "She's given you her requirements; do you plan to run from this as well?"

"Low blow big bro." Abraxas grumbled, walking past, ripping the list from Kuro as he did so, "After this, we're good."

"I can agree to that." Kuro murmured, watching him walk about, before giving Shax a serious look, "Okay, why is he really here?"

"We've just told you." Vale sighed, shaking his head.

"Like he'd come back for something like that." Kuro scowled, giving Shax a look, "You and I both know that he hates being here, so why would he come back for any reason?"

"Have you ever thought that, maybe, just maybe, Abraxas could care for your well-being?" Shax sighed, smoothing his hair out.

"Like he'd come back for me." Kuro scoffed, throwing her boots up onto the table, reclining.

"Oh, come on!" Zagan finally snapped, nearly breaking the table when he brought both hands down on it, "I know I'm not all that bright, but even I can see that he cares!"

"Zagan." Shax said in that commanding tone, ordering the giant to sit down, before going back to Kuro, "Even after all this time, you can't just accept that there are some people that care for you, can you?"

"Hard to do that in hell." Kuro scowled, "But that's not why we're here now, is it?"

"No." Shax sighed, resting his head upon his intertwined hands, looking over to Vale, "If you'd be so kind."

"They're bringing more and more guards into the Rift." Vale sighed, rising from his chair. Kuro groaned, this meant that he was gonna begin to pace, she hated it when he paced around.

He always looked like he was missing the bald spot and the smoke pipe.

"We don't understand why, but we've been watching them for a while." Vale sighed, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, tossing it onto the table, "I've attained a bit of information from those still left; half of them have been apprehended."

"That's not what this paper says." Zagan murmured, looking over the scrap.

"Zagan, my dude, last I checked, you can't read." Kuro scoffed, taking the paper from him, only to knit her eyebrows together, "Fuck, apparently, I can't read either."

"It's written in code." Shax sighed, shaking his head.

"More like chicken scratch, but hey, who's keeping count?" Kuro muttered, tossing the paper to Shax, who read it over.

"Anyway, we have reason to believe that they're cracking down here and on information brokers because of a belief going around about how the nobles think that we're working with the surface smugglers."

"Are you not?" Kuro questioned.

"While we do, there is a difference between exchanging information throughout their group and being part of getting demons to the surface." Vale corrected, before going on, "Anyway, with that said, there has been more security. I have been told that they may be on the verge of putting a sort of schedule into place."

"Like it'll last long." Kuro scoffed, "Control isn't a thing that most Rifters know, must less are willing to conform to."

"The nobles have also never cared enough to go this far." Shax sighed, "Think of it; most of the upper class are demons are mainly pride followers. We've managed to keep them out for so long, but due to a certain big event, they have been given a chance and path into the Rift."

"What did I miss?" Kuro asked, yawning.

"Why, you being claimed as a princess, of course." Vale said, as if the answer was the most obvious thing, "Think about it, while you, a common Rifter, being a princess is only a rumor, there are still those who will want to know more on you. To see how and where they can break you down."

"So, with that said," Shax said, building off of the thought, "You can imagine the increase in guards here for when the two of you become official, or possibly even when he decides to take you out into public."

"Speaking of which, how is he?" Zagan asked.

"Can we not talk about him?" Kuro groaned, "The guy is a control freak. An arrogant, prideful, ignorant prince, if you ask me."

"...Alright then." Zagan murmured, watching Kuro go from irritated back to lazy within seconds.

"So, if I'm to get this straight, the longer I'm there, the more guards here?" Kuro asked, before groaning, holding her face, "Fuck!"

"And with the guards, demons like us will have to get creative." Vale sighed, shaking his head as he paced.

"Well, last I checked, you're not a talking notepad, so why don't you just sit down and talk instead of stalking around like a fucking vulture?" Kuro murmured, already knowing that no one would get the reference.

Hell, did you guys reading even get the reference?

"While we're no good, we are a lot more united then those rich bastards." Vale scowled, "If they have the guards pour in, we'll have a major problem on our hands."

"I may be no information broker, but I've heard a word or two." Zagan murmured, "Apparently, news of our little group has spread; a decent portion of the nobles know of us."

"How could they not?" Kuro shrugged, finally taking her boots off of the table when Shax and Vale shot her a glare, "I'm proud to know that I've dropped a few of those assholes. They should be scared."

"Fear often spawns both stupidity and bravery." Shax murmured, before shaking his head, "We are getting once again off topic; Kuro, I have some work for you."

To this, Kuro grinned, "Please Satan tell me that I'm going in with a knife or six and assassinating all sorts of rich bitches."

"I want you to play their game."

"…Hold up, huh?" Kuro said, laughing awkwardly.

"While you're being treated like a princess, I want you to take up the role. Do what you can to become a part of their system."

"The sooner you do that, the sooner you'll have a say in things." Vale murmured, connecting the dots verbally for her.

"I know that I sound stupid either way but does anyone else know who they're talking to!?" Zagan poked in, speaking Kuro's mind, "Like she'd even have the talent to pull it off."

"But Kuro is great when it comes to deceiving." Vale thought aloud.

"Always the best actor," Shax murmured, giving Kuro a coy look, "With acting to charm the worse of the worse into being your pawns. That's what you prided, with the only thing over it being the fact that you're quite skilled at sneaking around."

"I'm used to performing for morons." Kuro hissed, irritated to a point with it all, "I'm sure that they've spent enough money to know a real performance from someone like me."

"Well, as you oh so loved to say back then, 'that's your problem'." Shax nearly grinned, "Besides, I'm sure you'll manage. Even if you hate being seen, you've always loved putting on a show."

Kuro scoffed, "Fuck, I don't have much say then, do I?"

"Don't be like that." Shax sighed, "It really is for the best. If anything, during this whole problem, you're in the safest place. I intend to keep it that way."

"And if I want to fight by all of you?" Kuro questioned, glaring at them all. How dare they just put her to the side, this was a big problem! She could be up on a rooftop, dropping these fuckers like flies! But no, she's being pushed to the side for her original job of looking pretty, gathering information and playing backstage.

"You will." Shax sighed, "But on your own accord."

"What part of 'we want you safe' do you not understand?" Vale sighed, giving Kuro a look. She, of course, glared right back, challenging him.

"What part of 'I'm an important part of this team' do you not understand!?" Kuro shouted right back, throwing her fists down onto the table.

Finally, Zagan was the one to snap, "Kuro, get a hold of yourself!" He shouted right back, ten times louder. With that, she wouldn't be surprised if people next door could hear, "Even I can see that this is the most effective option!"

"Him saying that means a lot." Vale muttered, finally sitting back down.

"Will you shut it, I am trying to back you up." Zagan growled, before turning back to Kuro, "We want you to see how you can help from your standpoint. You're helping and safe; what more can you ask for?"

"Not to mention that we have to worry about that prince of yours." Vale murmured, pulling a small book from his back pocket.

"Is now really the time to start writing your obituary?" Kuro murmured, as Vale opened it up, "Need your reading glasses, professor?"

"Corvus, Crow demon, follower of...Oh, that's interesting." Vale murmured, looking closer, "He seems to be associated to more than one clan, but he is mostly known for his affiliation with Pride."

"No shit." Kuro grumbled.

"Even with the incomplete information we hold on him, it is safe to say that he is possessive, to put it kindly." Vale said.

"But I'm sure that Kuro already knows that." Shax voiced, Zagan nodding.

"...I'm only agreeing because I don't want more eyes on me." Kuro scowled, "Not to mention that, even if people here want to kill me, I feel a lot safer here. Having a prince following me around would be much worse."

"Then it's settled." Shax groaned, stretching as he stood up, "You'll continue what you're doing. You really do have the easiest job; be yourself. Meanwhile, Vale, I want you to gather what acquaintances within the brokers you have left."

"Of course." Vale sighed, before looking to Kuro, "Kuro, if I may...What happened to Dajjal?"

Kuro cringed, rubbing the back of her head, "I'm so sorry, he was executed."

"That was to be assumed." Vale sighed, shaking his head, turning to Shax, "May I have someone find and bring in Sarlea?"

"That would be of much help." Shax sighed, turning to Zagan, "I'll want you at my side at all times."

"Someone still gets to play bodyguard." Kuro teased, "Lucky you."

"Better than playing tea party with noble trash." Zagan shot right back.

"You're infecting an open wound." Kuro grumbled, shaking her head.

All of them looked to the hallway, as loud fast footsteps dashed in, Abraxas breathing heavily.

"In all the years I've been stuck with you, I've yet to see you run that fast." Shax mused, scratching the back of his ear.

Abraxas scowled, still catching his breath, before coughing, "We've got an enemy gang closing in!" He coughed out.

Shax sighed, standing, "Zagan, I want you to barricade the bar. Vale, you see if you can get into contact with any close ally groups."

The two nodded, dashing off, before Shax looked to Kuro and Abraxas, "I want you two at the roof, hold them back as long as possible."

Kuro nodded, grinning, "One last job before I'm shoved back into luxury's lap." She grinned, watching Abraxas salute, before dashing downstairs, most likely to get his gun. What had he named it? Cinnamon? Sugar? Something like that, "Do you still have my new toy?"

Shax nodded, moving the table, before pulling up a trap door, "We figured that it would be best placed in the most secure area in this establishment."

Kuro grinned, pulling the sniper out, before looking to Shax, "And my old weapon?"

"Still at the roof." Shax insisted, fixing his tie as the noise outside grew, "If you need me, I'll be in the basement. I have things to do."

Kuro nodded, "Oh, that's right." Kuro murmured, moving out of the way before Abraxas could run her over, sniper in hand, "I've got a little kid downstairs, keep her safe?"

Shax's eyebrow rose, "Since when do you care? For 'devish children' much less?"

"Don't think, just do." Kuro said, taking a moment to pinch his cheek, "Please, babe?"

Shax scowled, slapping her hand away, "Just stay vigilant." Shax murmured.

Kuro grinned, winking, "Yes sir."

Right before she could dash off, she heard Shax clear her throat, "And, Kuro?"

"What?"

"Stay safe."

Kuro shot him a grin over her shoulder, "I'm the fucking Nightwatcher; I'll be fine."

With that, she dashed up to the roof, the adrenaline rushing through her veins once more.

This was gonna be a whole lot of fun.

* * *

 **Wow this chapter was a bit longer then I thought it would be.**

 **I don't have much else to say, so I'll go ahead and wrap it up.**

 **I hope that you guys liked this, please do drop a review if you did, and I'll cya guys next time!**

 **Also, call out to all of my Black butler fans, I'm willing to bet that there is a lot of those out there XD.**

 **Till next time, bai bai!**


	13. His Fair Lady, Bloodborne

**FINALLY, I HAVE RETURNED!**

 **I've went from the laptop to the iPad, just like how I wrote my very first fan fictions.**

 **It's pretty nostalgic, but typing this all out on a wobbly thin piece of metal, I remember why I was so happy to use a laptop like a normal person.**

 **Now then, let us get on with it.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

The rooftop hasn't changed much.

The floor was the same boring brown color, with the staircase being the only cover other than the wall that saved them from falling over the side. Off to the corner, Abraxas sat crouched over, looking over what they had.

"How far are they?" Kuro asked, setting her own sniper into a readied position before going over with him, looking over his shoulder.

"We have maybe ten minutes, five at the least." He replied, his breathing still a bit uneven.

Abraxas had always had his own way of doing things. He always had only 13 shots on his person, with one that he'd save in case shit really went down. He always kept the hood over his head. While sniping, he'd never use the scope, instead using a pair of yellow-tinted shades, to which Kuro couldn't help but comment on how he looked stupid.

She was quickly shut up when watching him shoot.

"What gang are we dealing with?" Kuro asked, grabbing a handful of shots, before going back over to her spot. Before her, it was Abraxas that would play target practice alone, she was also forced to do the same in his absence. But, with the two of them, Kuro would take to the left, Abraxas the right, near the ammo, "Is it Bloodbath? Skinner's group?"

Abraxas chuckled rather darkly, leaning back on the wall, finally taking off his sniper, holding it like a child their teddy bear, "I haven't heard those names in a while."

"That happens when you leave for so long." Kuro grumbled childishly.

She waited for him to laugh, shoot back a joke, maybe curse her name, only to have him sigh, "I won't lie to you, I really didn't want to be here. I'm sorry for using you as my substitute, I really am, but...I just couldn't be held in this place forever, you know?"

"You know that we're cool, right?" Kuro sighed. While she loved to hold a grudge (Honestly, what demon didn't), this wasn't how she wanted her first conversation in a while with the guy to go like this, "You got me what I wanted, and I don't break your skull."

"Either way, I want to officially apologize to you." Abraxas sighed, sounding like he was forcing the words out. While anyone else would have taken that as an offense, Kuro understood. It meant a lot that he was trying, especially when he wasn't one to admit he was wrong, "It was fucked up of me to do."

"Hey," Kuro said, holding her hand out, "We're good."

He grinned, slapping the hand, "We're good."

Kuro grinned right back, before looking through her scope. The area right in front of the bar was abandoned. That was never a good sign, like the calm before the storm, "Now, hurry up and tell me what we're up against. It better not be the Aurora Society; someone's got to tell them that their 'research' isn't gonna fly down here. Should try on the surface with that crap, who knows what they could do?"

"It's not them." Abraxas insisted, "It's the Frost."

At the name, Kuro both grinned and cringe. The Frost had been known for being a large group of elemental demons, all of which with power over ice. Kuro hated the cold. It was fine if she was bundled up, but hell was warm. So, in logic, demons who grew up in hell shouldn't like the chill.

The worse of the worse was the leader, Winter.

While she'd never seen him face to face, she's heard enough tales of the noble-turned-mafia lord. He'd done some nasty things, bad enough to be wiped of the nobility status. She could guess where he went from there, judging by the group that now followed him.

But, with that said, his name allowed for a joke she'd yet to use. A reference that had finally revealed itself.

"I guess you could say that Winter really is coming." Kuro grinned.

"Yeah...Sure…" Abraxas murmured, watching over the edge.

Kuro scowled, watching through the scope, "Whatever man, that was comedy gold right there," she muttered, just loud enough for Abraxas to hear, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to use that one, but no, none of you ass hats get any of them, I swear, my comedic genius is wasted on all of you."

"Mumbling like that isn't ladylike." Abraxas chuckled.

"Bite me."

"That's even worse, now what would you do if your prince heard you say that?"

"Like you're any better." Kuro groaned, watching closely, before narrowing her eyes, "You see that, on the side of the old market building?"

"Yeah, yeah I see it." Abraxas sighed, wiping out his signature (stupid) glasses, throwing them on.

At the corner of a far-off building, there was a faint light blue color that began to spread across the side, slowly but surely spreading.

"Crap, they've grown in numbers." Kuro groaned, shivering. She swore she could feel a faint chill from where she stood, er, crouched.

"I don't suppose that you or Vale know a fire elemental?" Abraxas asked, hopeful.

"Wrong fanfiction, buddy." Kuro sighed, "I'll be sure to tell Erin you asked for her."

"That's only if we make it through." He sighed, before giving her a confused look, "Wait, who the fuck is Erin?"

He never got his answer, as Kuro looked through her scope. Abraxas always had first dibs, so when the first demon turned the corner, there was maybe only four seconds before he dropped, dark red dripping from his forehead.

"Boom. Headshot." Kuro chuckled lowly, taking aim, her finger ghosting over the trigger. The next one that made himself known had the signature light blue skin an ice elemental would have.

All she could hear was the sound of her heart beating, zeroing in. She could remember the first time she'd done this, and honestly, she couldn't help but be proud of how far she'd come. Pulling the trigger, she got him in the chest, a shot right through the heart.

"How many do you think they've got?" Kuro asked, reloading.

It was at that moment that lady luck decided to shit on them, as the screaming increased, the ground feeling like it was shaking, even from the top of the building.

"You just had to ask." Abraxas sighed, leaning on his gun, "You should know better than to ask."

* * *

Vale sighed when the sound of footsteps grew, "I was right." He murmured, feeling the air around them drop, before facing Zagan, "I won."

"Come on, I thought for sure that Neos would be mad at us," He scowled, pulling out a small pouch of gold, tossing it to Vale from the locked-down windows, the tiger demon seated at the bar, "I would attack anyone who decided to steal information from me."

"But, at the same time, he was recently put down." Vale murmured, looking over all his papers, the bar phone in one hand while a pen was in the other, "That was Kuro's last real mission. You'd remember if you weren't such a buffoon."

"Don't start with me." Zagan scowled, turning away to walk for the kitchen. Once there, he walked past the stove, knocking on the wall next to it, "The bar is held down, but Vale is saying that it's the Frost."

"Winter? Interesting." He heard Shax say from the other side, "I doubt that our defenses will be able to hold them if they get too close, even if they're aren't as many of them as there use to be."

"What do you want done?" Zagan asked, cracking his knuckles. Being a demon of Wrath did wonders when it came to hand to hand combat, especially when it came to crowds.

"...Go by Vale's orders until I come out." Shax insisted.

Zagan, not being one to question, nodded, "Will do." He said, before walking back, feeling the temperature drop once more.

* * *

Vanth looked around the shelter in wonder. It was such a big room for a bar! Not to mention that the walls were lined with scrolls of some sort. In the middle of the room, the fox demon, Shax she believed, stood. He just held a pair of reading glasses over his nose, looking down at one of the many scrolls he had, some of which scattered on the floor.

"Umm...Mr. S-Shax, sir?" She whispered, still a bit scared. From what Kuro had told her about him, he was not a force to be reckoned with.

"Is there something you need, child?" He asked, looking up from his reading.

"W-would you like me t-to clean this u-up for you?" Vanth asked, tugging at the purple ribbon in her hair. Maybe if she tried to help him, he wouldn't want to kill her!

"There is no need for that." Shax insisted, tossing the scroll over his shoulder, before grabbing a new one, looking it over, "Everything is in its rightful place."

"O-okay." She whispered, looking at one of the scrolls that lined the ground. Looking at the top, all she could read was the word "Fire", written in Latin, before hearing Shax chuckle darkly.

"You'll do well to remember what killed the cat." Shax sighed, giving her a knowing look. Knowing when to spot a threat, she nodded, looking off, before shuddering, a sudden chill going down her spine, "Umm...Mr. S-Shax?"

"Yes, child?"

"S-should we stay in h-here? M-maybe we should g-go outside with everyone."

"We will." Shax insisted, not giving her another look, "I just need a few more moments."

* * *

"Fuck, they're not giving in." Kuro sighed, shooting down another. The two weren't fast enough to drop them in hoards. The bodies were getting much too close to the doors, frost covering the ground where they fell, sending the temperature down.

"What's taking Shax so long?" Abraxas growled, reloading quickly, taking another down, "Is he having fun in his reading room? He does know that this is slowly turning to their side, right?"

"You know him," Kuro murmured, growling when she dropped the bullet on the ground, "Always waiting for a grand entrance."

Looking around, Kuro spotted it, her first ever weapon, "Hey, can you still shoot two snipers at once?"

"Wanna find out?" Abraxas grinned at her, holding his other hand out. Handing it to him, she could help but watch in awe as he shot them with both. She could see that maniacal grin that grew across his face, before going for her old weapon.

Seated in a corner, what looked like an upgraded metal bow sat, the quiver not too far from there. The metal had runes etched into the sides, the bowstring still looking as good as new. She gripped the bow, happy with the familiar weight. While the sniper wasn't bad, nothing beat the original.

Grabbing the quiver, she threw it over her back, drawing the arrow back. Her eyes narrowed, she let it fly, right between the eyes.

"You've gotten rusty." Abraxas noted, giving her a look.

"Don't start with me." She scowled, not looking back before shooting another. She'd always prefer a bow over a sniper, even if the sniper is better in the long run. It was a lot easier to travel with a bow rather than a large hunk of metal strapped to your back.

Pulling back another arrow, Kuro's eyes narrowed, as the frost on the ground began to spike up, "So big bad himself came out to play."

Turning the corner, she could see a rather tall demon, easily a towering eight feet. He had long ice white hair, with a fancy light blue coat that dragged onto the floor. The area around him grew icicles, the frost turning to hard ice as he went past. His dark blue boots seemed to blend in with the ground from this distance, but nothing could mask those deep and dark pools of crystal blue.

"Crap, what's Shax's plan!?" Abraxas growled, shooting down another.

"I don't know! You tell me, you're the brother!" Kuro shouted right back, lighting the next arrow tip, before aiming. She had a dead-on target locked to Winter's forehead, letting the arrow fly.

Winter scoffed, tossing his wrist to the side, causing a large icicle to shoot out from the ground, encasing the arrow.

"Forgot he could do that." Kuro muttered, ducking when an icicle was shot, just missing her cat ears, "Hey, I don't want a piercing!"

Abraxas cursed, also ducking, "I didn't think that he'd be here! Fuck!"

"I know, right?" Kuro scoffed, popping up to shoot down another one, only to be forced to duck once again, "How do you propose we take down Frosty the Snowman?"

Before Abraxas could say anything, the rooftop door was thrown open, Vale's head popping up, "Orders from Shax; we're going for Delta nine, blood."

"How long is he going to stick to those stupid code names?" Kuro groaned, before looking to Abraxas, "You heard your brother."

"We'll decide who gets the position once we get down there." Abraxas grinned, before looking to Vale, "What's the cue?"

"Zagan." Vale murmured, before ducking back into the building.

"I take it that you don't want to waste time running down the stairs." Kuro murmured, pulling back three arrows before letting go without looking.

Abraxas shared her grin, hefting the two snipers onto his shoulders, "Please, ladies first."

"Always the gentleman." Kuro sighed, giving him a look as he dug his nose, before leaping over the ledge. She tumbled to a stop, pulling back five arrows, before firing on one knee, shooting down five at once, "Stuck the landing, top that!" Kuro grinned, before rolling to the side, taking shelter behind a half-broken wall, leaning against it before throwing her bow over her shoulder, pulling the knife from her hoodie, tightening the chains that hung around her wrists.

Peeking over, she could hear Abraxas whooping, landing on one knee, guns blazing. He rolled to the side, narrowly missing an ice projectile, before jumping back Soldier 76 style, still shooting till he landed behind the safety of the wall. He then grinned, giving Kuro a look, "You know that mine was cooler."

"Keep dreaming." Kuro muttered, keeping her eye on the oncoming mob, before glancing to the door, "Come on, what's taking him so long!?"

"Probably taking a potty break," Abraxas joked, perching both guns over the broken wall, shooting without looking, "You know that guy, big muscle, big-."

"Shit!" Kuro shouted, tackling Abraxas to the side, his face mere inches away from what looked to be a sort of ice splatter.

"Fuck," Kuro growled, glaring at the door, before drawing back another arrow, "What is taking them so damn long!?"

* * *

"What if I wear this coat?"

Vale sighed, holding his head as he ignored the sound of shooting and the feeling of frost in the air, slowly growing colder, "I seriously doubt that your wardrobe design is of the utmost importance at the moment."

"Well it matters to me." Zagan muttered, looking over all the coats laid out on the tables, "Besides, it's not like I'm wasting time, this actually matters."

"Usually I'd say that lying is a sin, but that phrase is reserved for Kuro." Vale sighed, before turning around when the kitchen door opened, "Shax, are you ready?"

"Just about." Shax sighed, rolling his neck before tugging on a pair of white gloves, "These are my last set, so we've only got one shot at this."

"That's all we need." Zagan grinned, before looking back over all of his coats, "Hey, boss, which coat should I go with?"

Shax walked over to inspect, before tossing the giant a random one, "Here, this one matches your personality."

Vale scoffed as the overjoyed muscle grinned, throwing it on, "I don't know who's full of more shit."

"You shouldn't have to worry about that at the moment." Shax murmured, before watching Zagan throw the door open, rushing out to (finally) do his job, "What you should worry over are the other gangs."

"No one has stepped up to get in the way of Winter, not after what happened with Kroni." Vale sighed, "We're on our own."

"That was to be expected." Shax sighed, "In that case, I'll have to ask that you look after Kuro's little friend." Shax murmured, jutting his finger out to the kitchen, "I'm keeping her in the safe room."

"Your safe room?" Vale questioned, "Are you not worried that she'll read something that she really shouldn't?"

"Even if she does, I have little to nothing to worry about." Shax sighed, shaking his head, before pulling at his dress shirt, unbuttoning the top button, "Besides, that is an issue I'll worry about. You continue to find out what you can."

Vale nodded, walking off for the kitchen, before Shax reclined in a chair, "Now all I have to is wait."

* * *

Kuro let out a relieved sigh when Shax nearly threw down the door, shutting it before jumping into the fray, knifes flashing, "Alright, there's the signal."

"Now the fun part." Abraxas grinned, holding out his fist, "Loser gets to play the Bloodborne."

"Fucking shit." She growled, holding her fist out.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shit!"

Kuro cursed, tightening the chains around her wrists, "Damn I hate you." She growled, ready to jump out.

"Maybe you should stop constantly using scissors, huh?" Abraxas grinned, looking like he'd just dodged a bullet.

"Just shut up and cover me." Kuro growled, peeking over the wall to see Zagan laughing like a maniac, smashing his fists into those who got to close, all the while Winter was taking his time, "Dude looks like prince Sub Zero." Kuro murmured, pulling her bow over her back, counting what she had. One knife and five arrows, great.

"Stop stalling." Abraxas chided, flicking her forehead.

Kuro cringed, before drawing a cross on her forehead, "Yo, Mary, fuck the cross. Please don't let me die of blood lost. Ramen."

When she got no answer, she grinned, "Thank Satan, God still isn't answering me!" She whooped, before jumping out from behind her cover.

"She's officially lost it." Abraxas muttered, before whipping around to shoot another frost demon down.

Meanwhile, Kuro made a mad dash, gripping the chains in one hand, the other holding a rather small knife. She was never much good at hand to hand combat, but it was pretty easy to do hit and runs.

She ducked under the hit of one ice elemental, throwing her chain out to wrap around his ankle, before rolling to the side, giving it a quick tug. Once he was on the ground, she gave a grunt of effort, spinning to fly him into his buddies, "Hey, Zagan, heads up!"

The brute turned at the right moment, grabbing the one that flew at him, before using said ice demon as a shield, "You never run out of ways out of a problem, do you?"

"It's called thinking fast." Kuro grinned, carrying on the casual conversation, roundhouse kicking one who got too close, "Now then, what's the plan?"

"Shax wants you on big and frozen over there." Zagan teased, looking over to Winter, "I'm going to assume that, since Abraxas is still behind that wall, you get to play Bloodborne."

"Yep," Kuro said with a forced grin, "I miss when Vale was the go-to-guy for this."

"That was before the fight at Ender's stadium." Zagan noted, easily grabbing an ice demon's face, flying them into the wall. Kuro wouldn't hesitate to bet money that, while not dead, said demon wouldn't be walking anytime soon, "Your friend over there is getting pretty close."

"I've noticed." Kuro groaned, tossing him her knife, "You can deal with the squishies?"

Zagan threw his head back, laughing, "What kind of question is that!?" He shouted, before happily going back to his happy little blood bath.

Kuro grinned, ducking under the arms of one enemy, before sidestepping yet another projectile, "I don't think we've officially met," Kuro grinned, giving him a small smile, shooting him with finger guns, "Name's Kuro."

"Winter." said the prestigious frozen one, "Introductions are unnecessary, you're not the one I'm after this time." At the last word, he threw his hands together, a long pole of ice forming.

Kuro scowled, grabbing a demon that threw a punch at her, before flipping him over, "All you'll find here is a stupid meathead, an information addict, the skinniest glutton you'll ever meet, and this piece of awesome right in front of you." Kuro went on casually, curb stomping the demon's head in. Times like these reminded her why she loved her boots so damn much.

She swung the chains around, using the momentum to shatter what ice was shot at her, the bigger chunks thrown off course, "You forgot the original traitor." Winter growled, giving Kuro a look, "I'd appreciate it if you'd kindly move to the side."

"Can't do that, sorry." Kuro shrugged, "That 'traitor' is kinda my boss, and he gave me word NOT to let you into the bar, so sorry, but rules are rules."

Winter grinned, slamming his staff into the ground. The ground around him shot up into icicles, nearly impaling Kuro's foot. She jumped back, lashing out the chains, before pulling herself forward, pulling the staff he leaned on out of his grip, forcing him forward into her double kick.

He stumbled back, an irritated look on his face, before glaring at the rather short cat demon as she swung both chains about like whips, "You always did think you were so clever," Winter scowled, his nice pretty boy persona long gone, "The both of you did. I wonder, did you get that trait from that prideful son of a bitch?"

"How would I ever know?" Kuro said casually, "He doesn't tell me much, but we both know that you are not the best...employer." Kuro growled, slowly getting closer, kicking the ice over and out of the way.

"That has nothing to do with you." Winter scowled, "Besides, you'll soon have your own problems, princess."

To this, Kuro stopped, giving him a rather cold look, "Where'd you get that information?"

"Word spreads quickly here." Winter grinned, Kuro not noticing the sheet of ice that slowly made its way for her, "It won't be long till the Rifters begin to dig deeper into it."

Before Kuro could ask, Winter's hand touched the ground. She had half a second to realize that the ground was oddly glossy, before it spiked up.

Eyes wide, Kuro jumped back, but not in time to avoid a rather painful cut into her right cheek. Off balance, she felt an ice-cold pole ram into her stomach like a bat, throwing her into the wall of a building, "Not too cocky now, are you?" Winter scowled, walking over slowly.

Kuro tried to rise, only to look up just in time to be batted away once again, flying and tumbling on the ground, groaning.

She pushed her upper body up, spitting blood out, before looking over to the main fight. Both Abraxas and Zagan were too busy with them to help, not to mention Zagan would be sporting a whole lot of new battle scars soon.

"It would be a lot easier for you if you just decided to call out Shax." Winter suggested, trying to bring the pole down on Kuro's head, only to have her roll away, pushing herself up on one knee.

"It would be even easier for you to give up and go home." Kuro coughed out, her breathing growing shakily, "Hell, that's what I'd do." Times like these, the only difference between demons and humans in that, in this situation, the human would give in much sooner than a demon.

Meant that she could suffer longer.

"That's something I never did understand about your kind," Winter muttered, watching as she slowly rose to her feet, staggering about a bit, "if you're so lazy, why not just give in?"

"Fuck, I don't know, I'm too tired to think." Kuro groaned, whipping out her knife, eyes narrowing, "You know, why don't you just quit it?"

Winter scoffed, a cocky grin on his face. With each passing second, she could see everything she hated about the Crow prince on Winter's face. She swore she'd get one good punch in, "Your boss and I have a little something to settle."

"It was a rhetorical question!" Kuro groaned, before throwing her chains back at him.

"You're running out of tricks." Winter grinned, moving to the side, before grabbing the metal. Kuro had a second to pretend to be saying her prayers, before Winter whipped her tiny body about, slamming her right into a toned wall of muscle.

"Kuro, stop sleeping on the job!" Zagan scowled, peeling her off of him, before blocking a hit, giving him enough time to backhand the demon, sending him flying, before scoffing, looking down at his arm, frost slowly creeping up to his shoulder, "Get back to your job, hold for a minute!" Zagan commanded, before tossing her back the way she'd come.

"Welcome back." Winter teased, kicking her right before she could land, tossing her to the side.

She coughed, spitting, "I swear to Satan, do I look like a fucking rag doll to you!?" She shouted, more irritated then angry.

Her only response was when a cold icy hand grabbed her around her throat, rising her from the ground. Kuro clawed at the hand, eyes narrowing, "Demons like you never know when to shut up." Winter grumbled.

"Demons like you never know when to give up." Kuro shot right back, her arm reaching out just enough to drag her bloodied hands down his coat.

Scowling, his grip around her neck tightened, "You've got your dirty blood all over my new coat." Winter growled, before slamming her into the ground. Slamming his staff into the ground, ice began to quickly creep up her body, to the point her she was frozen in place, the only thing moving being the blood from the open cuts all over her body, neck and face, "Now then, if you'd be so kind as to call out your fearless leader?"

Kuro managed a weak grin, a bit dizzy from the blood lost, before grinning, "No need."

Winter gave her a look, ready to question her, only to jump a bit when someone behind him cleared his throat, "Vale would have been able to do this in a much cleaner manner, Kuro."

"Then next time give him the job." Kuro grinned, watching as Winter turned to face Shax.

Said fox demon sighed, shaking his head as he tugged his gloves down, "Honestly, I'm sure that you have much more class then this, Winter. You couldn't have just asked for an appointment?"

"Be silent, you traitorous scum!" Winter growled, whipping around to crush his skull with the pole, only to have Shax jump back, his expression not changing.

To that, Kuro couldn't help but chuckle weakly, while his expression was the same, anyone who knew him could see the slight narrow in his eye, the small curve at the end of his mouth.

"In all honesty, I don't see why you'd bother." Shax sighed, ducking and dodging every attack, looking bored out of his mind. From where she was stuck, Kuro scowled, Shax was a bit like Corvus as well, "We could have settled this like real demons."

Winter scowled, "You should have offered that before you took everything from me!" He shouted, before throwing his arm out, "ATTACK!"  
He scowled, turning around, "Do I pay you grunts for nothing!?" He shouted, only to have his jaw drop.

Zagan just stood there, dusting his hands off as if he gave Winter an emotionless look, "Hard to command an army that isn't there, isn't it!?" Abraxas shouted from behind the wall, finally jumping it when all the grunts were done with.

Winter growled, before Shax whistled, "Never divert your attention; you taught me that, remember?"

"Be SILENT YOU INSOLENT CHILD!" Winter shouted, swinging around, only to have Shax catch the staff, ripping it out of Winter's hands, before tossing it to the side.

Sighing, Shax ran a hand through his hair, giving Kuro a disappointed look, "Come on now, you could have done your job a bit cleaner."

"Said it once, I'll say it again." Kuro coughed, trying to flip him off despite the ice holding her in place, "Have Vale do it."

"Do you think that I'm blind!?" Winter scowled, shaking his head, "I thought that I taught you better."

"...Oh?"

"Using a decoy to try and weaken me?" Winter scoffed, a cocky grin on his face, "Vale did indeed do this job much better!"

"Is that so?" Shax drawled on, only to move his focus to Zagan, a hand raised, "You two may go back into the bar; I will take care of the rest of this."

"I'm glad to know that you've got pride left." Winter chided, leaning into his punch, only to have Shax leer away, almost looking bored.

"Don't waste my time, Winter." Shax sighed, rubbing his neck.

"You can't dodge forever!" Winter gloated, going in for a swing.

Kuro could spot Shax's intent at least from a mile away. Shax grabbed his arm, swinging it about until it was held behind Winter's back, "I'll give you one last chance. Leave."

"And what will you do to me?" Winter scowled, arrogant to the very end. Winter smirked, "While Vale lacked in conversation, at least he could get a few lashes in, unlike that brainless brat!"

"Oh?" Shax drew on, almost bored, tightening his hold, "And what makes you say that? I make sure she's paid handsomely for her work, I'd hate to find out now that it's all for naught."

"pay me well my ass, last week all I got was half a bottle of whiskey!"

"Hush now, Kuro, the adults are talking," Shax sighed, "But, while we're on the subject, Winter; she did her job fairly well."

"I've long since learned how you fight, Shax." Winter scoffed, still struggling only to remain trapped, unable to do much but boast, "You can't use blood magic when there is none!"

"Have you taken the time to look around you yet, Winter?"

Kuro laughed when Winter's expression fell, as well as his eyes. He stared at the blood that surrounded him, making a rather crappy circle, "B-but...I didn't..."

"No, but you took pleasure in watching someone else spill blood." Shax murmured, "She also managed to smear the right rune on you."

Slowly looking down, Winter's breathing hitched as he noticed that, where Kuro had once bloodied his coat, the rune for fire was drawn out.

"No…That can't be...No…No!" Winter screamed, finally mustering the strength to push Shax off of him, causing said fox demon to jump back, the ice elemental whipping around, "That's not possible, there is no way that such a brainless brat could manage-."

"I would question it if I were you." Shax murmured, touching the outer circle, _"Ignis."_

Flames trailed along the blood as if it were gasoline, trapping Winter in. Kuro could see the fear in the once cocky demon; after all, ice didn't like heat.

"This will be goodbye for good, Valence." Shax murmured, before holding his hand out, _"Ignium."_

Kuro had to look away, death by fire wasn't an ideal way to go. Nor was screaming till you were a burnt crisp.

Kuro's vision was beginning to give in, from both blood loss and exhaustion. She felt the ice holding her firm melt from the bonfire Shax had set up, before feeling said demon pick her up, "You overdid it again."

"I'd say burn in hell, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Kuro spat back, trying to walk on her own, only to flinch, looking down at her blood coated hands, "Damn...is all of this really mine?"

"Stop talking, you'll cause more damage." Shax murmured, throwing her onto the counter.

Kuro hadn't even had time to realize that they were in the bar, with each blink, someone else was standing over her, from a stoic Vale who looked slightly irritated, to Zagan who had this messed up smile on his face.

It took a while, but within what seemed to be at least 15 minutes, Kuro began to feel her body once more, more so the hand that gripped hers tightly.

Looking down, Kuro was met with Vanth's wide tears eyes, clutching her hands tightly. She was mumbling something, which began to get clearer and clearer by the second.

"Please d-don't leave me alone."

Kuro managed a grin, using her other hand, which had already been cleaned and bandaged, "No worries, kid; takes more than that to break me."

"That's enough medicine, Shax, she's fine." Kuro could hear Vale say off to the side in his usual dismissive tone.

"I've noticed." Shax sighed from behind the bar, looking down at Kuro, "Glad to know we didn't lose you to such a meager fight."

"Yep, just another normal day in the Rift." Kuro grinned, "Now, could you finish this quickly, Doctor Shax? Gotta make sure that I'm all pretty and perfect for my fucked fiancée."

* * *

"The fight has just ended, Lord Legion."

 _"Good."_ The entity spoke, currently in their office. It was a room of walls of bookshelves, the middle being a large desk that currently held a map of hell. He stood over it, chair in the corner, _"If only Winter had decided to stay with us, hmm?"_

"Of course, Lord Legion." The messenger stood stiffly, too scared to show fear, "...Do you have any orders, my lord?"

 _"No. I don't want anyone, from both the military or guard, to step in for clean-up and containment. If I catch wind that they do, they will be...retired of their duty."_

"Of course, my lord." The demon bowed, "Also, our king is sending out a call for a meeting, within a month's time. He would like the attendance of all the Sins."

 _"Is there anyone else?"_ Legion finally asked after a few tense seconds, _"Possibly...royal blood?"_

"From what I've been told, there is no definitive answer. I'm sorry, Lord Legion."

 _"...You are excused."_ Legion said, _"Send in Cresil on your way out."_

Waiting for the door to close, before grabbing a red pen. _"It's hard to keep a hold over a pawn when you don't know what they'll do,"_ the voices sighed in unison, circling a spot within the Rift.

"You called, boss man?"

 _"Please do refer to my title, even in privacy."_ Legion sighed, rubbing his forehead, _"Is it safe to assume that you were the one to give Winter the information?"_

Cresil grinned, "I couldn't help it, this game is taking a while."

 _"And yet you do nothing but watch the conflict from afar."_ Legion sighed, _"You are hard to understand."_

"Then it makes sense as to why you'd want me on your side." Cresil grinned, before his face suddenly turned to stone, "But that's not why you wanted me here, is it?"

 _"While you're odd, you manage to be far from dim."_ Legion noted, before beckoning Cresil over to the desk, _"All of the green are spots that the guard has managed to take over."_

"We don't have much green." Cresil noted.

 _"Which is why I'm going to have to ask you to begin taking more...subjects in."_ Legion murmured, _"Our king is beginning to do anything to find out about these surface smuggling activities, not to mention that you'll have a lot more...playthings."_

"I can't disagree to that." Cresil grinned, "But what's the catch?"

 _"Other than handing over surface smugglers? We request that, when you do find the demon you're looking for, we learn what you learn from them before you...take care of the mess."_

"I can do that." Cresil grinned, before bowing, "My Lord Legion."

 _"Excellent."_

* * *

 **That ended up being a lot longer then I thought it would be.**

 **Just a quick author's note, I went ahead and got myself a black butler amino account. I'm under the name "JustAnotherSebastianFan". I'm that idiot that likes to upload stuff like stupid memes and even dumber yet entertaining blogs. Feel free to follow and share ideas!**

 **Well, till next time, Bai Bai!**


	14. His Fair Lady, An elegant flower

**Hi hi!**

 **Before we start, I had a guest ask a question. As far as I know, I made up the idea of elemental demons, and if you choose to use the idea, I'm more then okay with that. All I really request is that I get a link to this fanfiction, I'm interested!**

 **Now, with that out of the way, let's get on with it!**

 **Kuro:...Zzz...**

 **Me:...Kuro? That was your cue.**

 **Kuro: Hmm? Wa?**

 **Me: Say the line!**

 **Kuro:...Crayola...**

 **Me: Wrong one**

 **Kuro:...Bush did-**

 **Me: Don't even finish that, I'll just do it, my Gawd.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

The last thing that she wanted to deal with was another arrogant hot-headed demon.

"What happened to you!?"

So, of course with her luck, the first person to greet her upon arriving was the Crow himself.

Upon walking into through the castle's entrance, Vanth not too far behind, Corvus had been there in the ballroom, speaking with someone that looked of a high standard.

That just made it that much sweeter when he stepped around this official completely, ignoring him as he walked over.

"What is all of this?" He repeated his question, grabbing her arm to look over the thin scars that ran up and down her flesh.

"Went with Vanth to go and do a bit of shopping." Kuro shrugged, in a way blocking Vanth as she made her getaway to where ever she had to go, "Somethings she needed was in the Rift. You can tell the rest of the story from there."

"Please, do explain in greater detail."

Kuro shrugged it off, "We got jumped."

"Do you think I'm a fool?"

Kuro cringed a bit at his tone, his eyes dead cold and narrowed, "Depends, what kind?"

"If you had been jumped, there is no way that you'd be able to naturally make cuts like that scars in the timeframe you were out." Corvus said, giving her a look, "What really happened out there?"

"So, you're saying that I'm wrong?" Kuro asked, a bit perplexed. Not many people could see through her weaved lies, even less having the balls to call her out on them, "I'm sorry, but unless you've been stalking me, you know nothing."

"It's not hard to tell that you're lying," Corvus said, his volume raising, "The question is why you've chosen to lie?"

"Why does it matter to you?" Kuro asked, backing up a bit. The looking on Corvus' eye looked damn livid, "I left, and I came back, not to mention that I was with Vanth. There's not much I could have done."

Kuro was ready to leave, only to have Corvus grab her arm, "Let go of me!"

He ignored her, before licking her arm. Before she could hit him, something, he let go, giving her a look, "Your skin taste of alcohol and something...odd."

"It's a medicine from the Rift," Kuro shrugged, telling half the truth. Thanks to Vale's connections to a certain illegal medication dealer, they had a whole lot of miracle workers in a bottle, "Amarix?"

"And where did you get that?" Corvus went on, grilling her.

"Like any other normal person, I bought it!" Kuro groaned, slowly growing more irritated and angrier with this guy.

Before she could walk off, Corvus grabbed her hoodie by the shoulder and did the unforgivable.

He ripped the hoodie from the shoulder down to the side, nearly taking off the sleeve.

"Hey!" Was all Kuro could muster, holding her arm. All she had was a tank top underneath, and honestly, she felt a bit too naked in front of the guy who basically eye fucks her.

"You have ice burns on your back, trailing down the back of your shoulder." Corvus said, ignoring what she said while also keeping a hand on her, keeping her from escaping, "Who were you attacked by?"

"Why does it matter!?" Kuro shouted, finally ripping her arm away. She was far over the cliff of anger at this point, as she used her hand to try and hold her hoodie together.

"Why does it matter!?" Corvus said, holding a hand over his face, "Maybe it's because I decided to give you a lot of freedom and you repay me by doing something behind my back!"  
"I'm so sorry that I decided to get attacked by a random gang of ice elementals without you!" Kuro shouted right back, knowing that they had eyes on them, even if the ballroom looked empty, "Next time, I'll be sure to drag myself over, bloody and all, just to invite your royal ass! But no, maybe I'll even ask them to make it a bit flashier for you!"

She gave herself a bit of time to indulge herself in the pure surprise Corvus had on his face, before dashing off. She ran down multiple hallways, not knowing where she was, not that she cared much.

She just wanted to get as far away as possible.

Finally stopping near some random window, she took a moment to breath in the fresh air, or as fresh as hell air could get. Sighing, she gingerly took off her hoodie, looking it over.

Right next to her ring, this jacket was her most prized possession. She'd had this just as long as the ruby ring, not to mention that it just felt so casual and comfortable.

It hit something to see it all tattered and ripped.

Growling, she gripped the window, before shouting out through the window, "FUCK!"

"I take it your talk with Corvus didn't go well?"

Kuro jumped, spinning around, scared that it was some other nobility or a body that she'd have to hide later, only to sigh, "Arc, you scared me there."

"My apologies." He sighed, before holding his hand out, "May I?"

Kuro gave him a look for a second, before nodding, "Yeah, sure."

She handed it over, watching as Arc looked it over, before looking at her with what she thought was the blankest expression of empathy she's ever seen, "My brother did this?"

"Yeah." Kuro sighed, about to shove her hands into her pocket, only to remember that her hoodie was still in the hands of Arc, "I'm going to have a hell of a time putting it back together."

Arc looked as if he was in deep thought for a second, only to ask, "Come with me?"

The way he phrased it was similar to a borderline command, but Kuro had a bit of empathy and understanding for him. The difference between Corvus and Arc was that at least Arc was trying to understand and change his way of speech, "Where to?"

"It's a…surprise." Arc murmured, before holding an arm out to her, "Don't worry, it's within the main castle."

Kuro gave him a sort of teasing look, "Are you asking me out?"

"...Technically, I'm asking you in." Arc said, his expression never changing.

"It wouldn't hurt to crack a smile every now and then." Kuro teased, before taking his hand, it was a bit too cold, but she wasn't about to complain.

Arc had what she thought was a smile on his face, before leading her down the hallways, one hand holding her own while the other held her hoodie tightly.

Kuro couldn't help but watch his hair, it was just such an odd hairstyle. It looked like eternal bed head, just messy, but a sort of good kind of messy-

Whoa, hold it right there, awkward thoughts.

None of that.

Finally, Arc came to a stop, before turning to her, "I need you to close your eyes."

Kuro gave him a look, "Hell no!"

"...Pardon?"

"I'm not an idiot, I don't feel like being locked in a strange room with a strange guy." Kuro said, half-jokingly.

She had to keep it together when he blatantly stated, "I thought that women liked these types of surprises."

Kuro had a good few seconds, before throwing her head back, laughing, "What the fuck is romance!?"

Arc sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I promise it's nothing sexual."

"But you just said it was romantic!"

"You just said that you don't know what romance is."

"True." Kuro sighed, wiping away the laughing tears, before holding a hand over her eyes, "If you try anything, I will fuck your ass up."

"Duly noted." Kuro heard the door open, the familiar feeling of hellish sunlight on her skin, before being pulled forward.

* * *

"You heard what went down at that last meet up?"

"Don't you mean massacre?" Another spoke up, taking a hit from the cigar, before throwing down another card, "Winter didn't think it out."

"Which is why Winter isn't here anymore." A third murmured, before sighing, "What to do now?"

"No leaders, no rules." The first replied, throwing down another card, his other hand playing with frozen snowflakes he'd create.

"No income either." The third sighed, looking around the hideout for the once proud group of ice elementals, "Most of them either left or died in front of that bar."

"All thanks to that damn group." The second one murmured, before looking around, "Which one should we target?" He asked, not noticing the newcomer who walked in with a trench coat and top hat, hiding his face.

"I'd go for the girl." The first cackled, rubbing his wrists, "Heard that Winter got a few good hits in on her before he kicked the pail."

"Not to mention she looked to be a sort of bystander." The second went on, taking another hit, "Heard from the others that they decided to use her against us like some sort of reverse hostage."

"I heard that it was just an ordinary girl that just got caught in the middle of it all," The third sneered, "Not that I'd care either way; none of the information is spot on when everyone who went is done."

"I heard that she was the one chosen one for the prince this year," The second sighed, breathing smoke out, "Word's spread, once it becomes official, Rifters will be out for blood."

"Such a shame," The first grinned, tracing out ice designs on the table, "Heard she wasn't half bad to look at. Leather boots are enough for most demons here."

"It's enough for you." The third groaned, "Any normal slut is good for you."

"Pardon me." Said the newcomer, taking the free fourth seat.

"Pardon me?" The third asked, "Someone sounds too formal."

"And all three of you sound completely vile." The newcomer shot right back, voice slowly but surely rising, catching the attention of others around them, "To think you'd speak of a lady in such a way. Demons such as you are pure filth."

"Those are fightin' words, bucko." The first one scowled, the air growing colder, "Besides, what sort of control over us to you have to tell us what to do?"

"I have more then you'll ever dream of."

The second one scowled, before standing up, "And just who do you think you are?" He scowled, ripping the hat off, only to be shocked by the deep red eyes of the most recent popular prince.

"I'm the demon that has chosen this 'normal slut' as my one and only." He said, a small smile on his face, as the rest of the ice demons behind him rose, "Surely you know that I cannot allow such an act against her to go on uncorrected."

"And just what do you plan to do about it?" The third one scoffed, eyes narrowed, "You've got no power and no help out here."

Grinning, Corvus cracked his knuckles, "Come now, who said that I needed anything like that?"

* * *

Once Kuro was able to open her eyes, she almost didn't process the greenery of this place.

Arc had taken her to a garden.

It looked as if it resided in the center of the castle, as if it was hollow to allow space for all the green, as well as other colors.

"But...how?" Kuro asked, almost in a daze as she walked through what looked to be a sort of rose maze, "Plants can't grow down here."

"Ever since we've had Cresil join us, he's had many side projects to push the limit between mortal and demon." Arc said, picking a black rose, "This had been one of the first, his smallest project."

Being how the area was bigger than the bar, she couldn't imagine what a bigger project looked like, "It's beautiful." Kuro murmured, accepting the rose Arc held out to her.

It was just as she remembered roses from the surface, with soft beautiful petals and a thorn-covered stem, "I take it you've seen these before?"

"I've seen flowers while on contract, yes." Kuro murmured, walking through the tall bushes, Arc not too far behind, "But even then, this looks much better."

"How so?"

"The last time I was up there, I was working a contract with a human by the name of Adolf Hitler." Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "Didn't have much greenery while I was up there, but at least a learned a bit of German."

"Interesting." Arc murmured, before taking her hand, "Come on, there is a shaded bench this way."

He led her down a different path through the maze, pulling her along, before they arrived. It was a pale white gazebo-like building, with a nice marble bench, "Wow this is a lot nicer then Germany! If course, I was there during a war…" Kuro murmured, before taking a seat.

Arc sat down next to her, before opening his coat pocket, pulling out a needle and thread. It took all of Kuro's determination and grit not to laugh out loud.

That, of course, didn't last too long.

"What is it now?" Arc sighed, setting the items down on his lap, his face looking almost accusing.

"I've never seen a male demon sewing!" Kuro threw her head back, laughing, "What, do you do macramé as well?"

"No, that's childish." Arc sighed, pushing his glasses up, "I knit."

Within the silence of the garden, the only thing to make a sound was Kuro, her laugh echoing off of the dark brick walls, "Oh jeez, I can see it!" Kuro grinned, slapping her knee, "You, sitting on a plastic chair, knitting some sort of white shawl with a bird on your shoulder!"

"I don't see what is so funny about it." Arc scoffed, getting back to Kuro's hoodie, threading the red thread through the needle, "It's a skill that is not as known and used down here."

"Who taught you to knit?" Kuro grinned, nudging his shoulder, nearly making him stab himself with the needle, "I don't see daddy Satan sitting baby prince Arc down to teach him some pussy skills."

"I learned from my mother."

His words worked like a silent slap to the face, rendering her silent. She didn't know much about the whole "Queen of Hell" thing, but even then, this felt like taboo territory, "...Who's your mother? We never get much lime light on her."

"My mother was...complicated." Arc mumbled, "Every few thousand, ten thousand, years there is a…swap, if I am able to call it that. She stuck around for a few other thousand years after I was born before she was...replaced."

"...Oh." Kuro murmured, trying to be the listening ear. It was already nice to know that Arc was willing to say something without being provoked by Corvus.

"There is one true queen, but many other women get picked so that there are many heirs to the throne. I was one of those 'many heirs'."

"...I'm sorry to hear that." Kuro said, trying to sound consoling. She barely knew how to help Vanth, how could she even begin to understand Corvus?

"I take no offense to what you stated." Arc sighed, going back to sewing the hoodie back together, "From what I know, she was just like every other woman who got chosen for the part; she was more of a mistress then a mother, but she still made an effort to make time for me as a child. At least, that's what I'm told."

"...Can I ask a question?" Kuro asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Of course."

"What about Corvus? Who's his mother?"

"Corvus is a pure royal." Arc murmured, "Our queen isn't the most...fortunate when it comes to bearing children. In fact, I believe that the very issue is the reason for the tradition of choosing other women, for both our king and his princes."

"No wonder he acts like the world should be lucky to have him." Kuro said, trying to lighten the mood, "He's pure Pride."

"In more ways than one." Arc sighed, before Kuro yawned, "Is it safe for me to assume that you're a follower of Sloth?"

"What gave it away?" Kuro grinned, before nudging him, "You?"

"Due to my...mixed origin, I am Pride and a little of something else." Arc admitted.

Kuro's jaw dropped, "You're a dual?"

A dual was a very rare thing, or more so secretive. If you're a dual, that meant that two demons of two different sins came together to make you, and within the nobility, that was a very disgraced thing.

Even if the Rift, there weren't many known dual sinners.

"Yes, I am." Arc said, almost sounding...no, he couldn't be embarrassed, "It's not something I'm too fondly proud of, if I'm honest."

Kuro gave him a look of disbelief, "Dude, are you kidding?"

"Not in any shape, way, or form."

"But being a dual is awesome!" Kuro said, nearly making Arc jump back when she shot up, "You know how cool that would be!?"

"To be dismissed from society?" Arc asked blankly.

"What? No! Stop being such a downer!" Kuro said, playfully punching his shoulder, "It would be so awesome, in my opinion, to be seen as more than just a lazy cat!"

"You are more than a lazy cat." Arc deadpanned.

Kuro gave him a look, "But what I'm trying to say is that I'd like to be labelled as more than just lazy! To know that you can come from more than one basic trait, that's so many options to who you want to be, not something to be dissed for!"

"...I don't understand." Arc sighed, holding his head. Her and her odd ideology was giving him a headache.

"Okay...Try to see it like this." Kuro said, trying her best to connect to the prince, "Don't see it as a sign of being damned by those nobility shits around you."

"Hard to do that." Arc muttered, only to duck when Kuro reached out to slap him.

"Le shush and listen; instead of seeing it as being different in a bad way, use this as a way to find yourself. Not many demons are born with the options and choices you have. Honestly, you should be honored."

Kuro finally calmed down after a bit of deep breathing, laughing in between, "Damn, you got me all worked up...This is the most I've worked in a while, and that says something…"

"...I deeply apologize."

"No, don't apologize!" Kuro sighed, half tired and yet still grinning, "Really, just...jeez, you're too formal."

"And you're too casual." Arc shot right back.

Kuro couldn't help but grin, "Finally, you're using comebacks!"

"I have always known and used comebacks." Arc deadpanned.

"Let me just pretend I taught you something, so I can enjoy the moment." Kuro sighed, before tiredly leaning on him.

She didn't notice how he stiffened up just a tiny bit, Kuro growing sleepy instead. He was honestly very comfortable, especially since he didn't constantly try to interject speech in calm moments of silence.

Like how Kuro did a lot.

She could ramble on and on about the first thing that came to mind, and Arc would just sit there with her and take it like a champ.

Finally, Arc shoved something into Kuro's face, "I hope that it's too your liking."

Kuro grinned, sitting up to pull it on, "It's great, thanks my dude." Kuro grinned, shoving her hands into the pockets, "You've got to teach me to fix up stuff like this. You have no idea how many jackets I've lost to rips and crap."

"...I will make you a deal." Arc sighed, looking around, "I'll teach you to sew and repair if you're willing to do something for me."

"Name it." Kuro beamed.

"Take me into the Rift."

"...Huh?"

"You say that the Rift is better than here," Arc said, a flash of challenge in his eyes, "Prove it."

"Can the prince really handle it out there?" Kuro questioned, "I don't think that that princey pants can take it."

"If you can prove that the Rift is, 'all that', as you put it, then I can prove that I'm enough to...survive." Arc put as eloquent as possible.

"A done deal." Kuro grinned, grabbing his hand to shake it, before looking up to the slowly darkening sky, not that it still wasn't bright, but it was dimming down ever so slightly, "Till then...Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"I don't see why not, I'm sure that the chefs won't mind." Arc said, rising from the bench, before offering her a hand.

Kuro gave him a look, playfully slapping his hand away, "None of that." She said, grinning, before attempting to throw an arm over his shoulders, "But, I'll promote you to my main buddy?"

"...It is better than nothing." Arc sighed, walking her to the kitchen as she continuously tried to throw her hand over his shoulder, giggling like a child all the way.

* * *

After dinner, Kuro had slowly but surely made her way up to her bedroom, grinning. Dinner had been nice, even if the only thing to fill the silence was her own voice. Arc didn't seem to mind, nodding and even sometimes adding in his own opinion once in a blue moon.

It had been the first casual dinner since she'd first arrived here, whereas every other meal would feel rather odd with Corvus constantly watching and complimenting her.

When she pushed the door open, her eyes were weary and a bit droopy from the rather filling dinner.

Of course, that was all ignored upon seeing a shirtless Corvus at the bed. But it wasn't the fact that she could see his naked back that made her feel sick. It was what littered his body.

"What is all that from?"

Corvus turned to her, looking a bit surprised, "I didn't notice you come in."

"You're not answering my question." Kuro mumbled right back, more concerned with the condition of his back then what he had to say. The red marks on his back looked almost angry, with a few scattered...hold up, where those ice burns?

"I made it VERY clear that you were not to be harmed." He said, the pride and arrogance gone, replaced by a rather soft tone.

"You also made it very clear that you could be harmed." Kuro said, almost teasing, "Not much good for your public image." She was going to go on, only to stop. She was sounding a bit too much like an asshole at the moment.

"That doesn't matter to me, especially in the Rift." Corvus groaned, rolling his shoulder, only to wince.

He mumbled something, to which Kuro leaned a bit closer, "Huh?"

"I never want to see you hurt that badly ever again."

Kuro was at a loss of words, a bit baffled to say the least. From what she understood, he had gone off of what Kuro had said, during her angered state, and went out to finish the job, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Was all she managed, before watching him turn around, only to wince a bit.

He had a rather nasty cut that looked like it just now began to close, going from under his right eye to the bottom of the left side of his neck. He reached out for her hands, his own shaking a bit. At first, she flinched away, only to finally give her hands over, he just looked so battered, "I know that you do not like me much, and now much less because of how brash I can be at times, I really do, but know that you are still the one I choose to live by till the end of time."

He squeezed her hands, offering her a tired smile, to which Kuro couldn't help but smile back. At least he was big enough to admit it. She then stood up, slowly pulling her hands away, "Where are you off to Kitten?" He asked, sounding almost defeated.

"I know how to deal with crap like that." Kuro muttered, tilting his head back a bit to see the cut, "It doesn't look like it was deep enough to scar. I can make an ointment for the ice burns."

"You don't need to." Corvus groaned, lying back slowly on the bed.

"It's the least I can do." Kuro murmured, "...Corvus?"

"Yes?"

"...Thank you." Kuro murmured, rubbing her shoulder, "For...Doing all of that. This is the least I can do to make it up to you."

"It is no problem." Corvus insisted, before looking around, "But...if it's not too much to ask, my I ask you one more favor? I promise it won't be too strenuous."

Kuro was ready to decline, only to sigh. It was in that moment that Kuro decided to put her morals above her own rather selfish wants, after all, it really was the least she could do, "Whatever you want." She said, promising to get him whatever he wanted.

"I'd like to take you out tomorrow."

In that moment, Kuro wanted nothing more than to punt her morals and promises, but unfortunately, those were her last redeeming qualities, "It's a date." She said, trying to sound confident as she walked into the bathroom. She had all night to get ready for whatever the Crow Prince had planned for her.

As she did so, she went blind to the wide grin Corvus wore.

* * *

 **I feel like I haven't given poor Claude- I mean Arc enough attention.**

 **As for the idea of the whole "more then one side chick" thing, I kinda got it from Danganronpa. Apparently, Togami says something in the first game where he says that the head of the family will get with more then one women and out of all the children he has, they all have to fight to become the heir.**

 **Also, since it's pre-Black butler, I know that Hitler didn't rise to power till after that. But, you know what, my story, if I want to break the rules of time, I will break the rules of time!**

 **But yeah, that's all I have to say. This was the Arc chapter, next will be for Corvus.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed, can't wait to see you guys next time!**

 **Till next time, bai bai!**


	15. His Fair Lady, Once rather crude

**Hi hi!**

 **Damn it, I was one day off of the Fourth of July.**

 **So, hehe, my bad on that! (Insert sweatdrop emoji here)**

 **Kuro: And I thought that I was the lazy one here!**

 **Me: You know what, shut thy face, I didn't ask.**

 **Kuro: Jeez, no need to be a Lilith.**

 **Amy: Hey! Don't talk shit about the Shade!**

 **Kuro: Why not? Is someone having a loyalty thing?**

 **Amy: What? Fuck no, I just don't feel like meeting an ungodly end at the moment!**

 **Kuro: So, wait, you're scared of her? But you poke so much fun at her!**

 **Amy: If she doesn't know I'm scared, then all the better!**

 **Erin: It really doesn't matter, she can smell fear.**

 **Kuro: What the hell are you talking about?**

 **Me: Can you guys continue this in the background or something? I've got a chapter to go through with and you guys are irritating.**

 **Lilith: She's right.**

 **Amy: (0_0) Hey, Lilith, didn't know that you were-**

 **Lilith: Can it, Stone. And yes, I can smell fear.**

 **Amy:...Fuck.**

 **Me: ONWARDS!**

* * *

It was hard to go back to the chill life after that.

Every time she woke up in the morning, she'd constantly keep an eye on the wall, knowing that someone inside of that room could get her killed.

Every time a knock came to the door, she'd dash to grab a knife before answering the door, most of the time it was the occasional homeless person asking for money or a child doing a prank.

She had a full week of living on the edge, before he came to the door.

"What do you want?" Kuro scowled.

"I wasn't aware that you could look grumpy." Vale said, a ghost of a smirk on his face,

"I can't sleep in anymore when I know that there is something out there that wants to kill me." Kuro growled.

"You should have thought of that before you decided to steal your way to the top." Vale sighed, looking around, before ushering her out, "Come on, we've got to get to the bar."

"Why?" Kuro scowled, even if she tried to fight back, Vale was a lot larger then she was, "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm underaged."

"That's not why we're going." Vale insisted, leading her down the stairs, "Besides, I know that something as small as age doesn't stop you."

"Is there anything you don't know?" Kuro asked, grumbling a bit.

"No, and I take pride in that." Vale murmured, "Information is key."

"Thank you, professor boring." Kuro said, faking a yawn.

"Do be silent." Vale sighed, leading her down a random alleyway, "We don't want to attract any attention."

Kuro grumbled to herself, mocking the tiger demon, only to sigh. Being how he did nothing but constantly push her back, he was getting quite boring, "The bar isn't too far, why do you insist on walking around the same damn building a thousand times?"

"I do remember telling you to be silent."

"You're not answering the question."

From then on, Vale ignored her, continuously walking on. Kuro was tempted to be as loud and outlandish as possible, only to stop when she really thought it over.

She was now stuck with only this other tiger demon against a rather powerful demon of the Rift. If any sort of word of them walking about got out in any way, they'd be dead.

"Someone looks like they're finally putting the pieces together." Vale murmured, as they reached the bar entrance.

"Do be silent." Kuro scowled, walking in when Vale opened the door for her, flipping him off.

Once inside, she took in the different atmosphere.

With no one there, the once loud bar was now a rather homely and had a sort of safe feel to it, as if it was a friendly gathering place rather than a riot house at times.

Behind the counter, Shax stood, giving the two of them what looked to be a warm smile, "I see that you've brought her today. Thank you, old friend."

Vale only nodded, before sitting off on the side, "So, is Zagan going to take over from here?"

"On any other normal occasion, yes, he would have." Shax sighed, looking up to the clock, "But, I have him working with Dajjal, and you know what that means."

"Poor guy is probably watching Sarlea." Vale murmured, "But, we've got a different pain in the ass to deal with at the moment."

"Do not title her in such a manner," Shax said, almost with a scolding tone, before looking Kuro over, who had elected to remain silent and watch from afar, "For the time being, she is our guest and ally."

"You know, if you remove 'and ally', that could have been a good Disney song opening." Kuro murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

"Well, I don't fight, and I doubt that she's similar to you." Vale said, tapping his chin as they both ignored what she'd said, "...Is your irritating brother still here?"

"Indeed; most likely gorging himself on any type of desserts he could find." Shax sighed. Kuro watched the two have some sort of silent chat, before Shax nodded, "Kuro, for the time being, we will have Abraxas teach you what you need to know for when you go undercover."

"Is being sneaky and having a knife not enough?" Kuro questioned.

Vale sighed, before standing straight, cracking his knuckles, "Throw a punch."

"...Heh?"

"You heard me." Vale said, raising his fists, "Throw a punch."

Kuro shrugged, a small grin on her face, "Okay."

She rushed him, faking a hit with her right, before throwing a hook with her left. Too her surprise, Vale blocked the right fist, before grabbing her left, "You're just like Nazun. You fight dirty."

"Guilty." Kuro growled, before kicking at his knee, only to have him step back at the last moment, throwing her to the side.

"Do mind the shelves and tables," Shax said, almost absentmindedly, "Someone has to pay for it if it breaks."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that it wasn't for nothing, Shax." Vale sighed, before walking over to Kuro, "She's not strong, but she is quick."

"Just like Nazun." Shax murmured, watching Kuro slap away Vale's offered hand, "Now, Kuro, if you'd be so kind as to go up the stairs, I'm sure that Abraxas is up there with nothing better to do."

"Oh, I get to deal with a…You know what, I don't know him at all to make some sort of stupid reference." Kuro grumbled, before marching up the steps.

Once she was gone, Vale sighed, "Is it really worth training her? There is no way to make sure that she doesn't bail once she learns how to do more than slip away."

"She'll get the job done, there is no need to worry." Shax said easily, as if he were pointing out the obvious.

"And how can you tell?" Vale asked, an eyebrow rose.

"Call it a hunch." Shax insisted, "She won't turn on us."

"That's all we got to work with?" Vale groaned, holding his forehead, "We're staking the rest of us against Kroni, Winter's own second hand man, on your hunch and a…a child?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing." Shax sighed, before giving Vale a look, "But, answer me this; when have I ever steered us wrong?"

"When have you ever been able to admit you're wrong?" Vale shot right back.

"...While I do respect you, Valefor, I will not stand if you decide to question me." Shax said, his voice dropping with his expression to a dead serious feel, "Let's not let our bridge burn due to some little girl, yes?"

"...I'm only agreeing to this because we both know what'll happen if we stand around and wait for someone else to drop from the sky." Vale sighed, rubbing his forehead, before something cold touched his elbow, a filled glass.

"I know the risk of playing my cards wrong," Shax insisted, cleaning another glass as Vale took a sip, "But, at the same time, I've yet to be wrong."

* * *

Walking up the stairs which were, for once, alit, Kuro pushed open the door at the very end of the hallway.

Inside, the demon in question sat, feet kicked up with a plate of what looked to be cake on his stomach, "Wait, what are you doing up here?" He asked, putting the plate onto the table as he got up.

"Whoever Zagan is isn't here, so smartass and decently hot bartender decided to make me your problem." Kuro deadpanned.

"Huh, I thought that Shax didn't like Sloth, but hey, whatever." Abraxas sighed, before looking her over, "Well, it's better you then some other random person."

"I'm sorry, were there auditions?" Kuro asked.

Abraxas grinned, "You've got something that the others didn't."

"Damn good looks?" Kuro asked, striking a stupid pose.

"A sense of humor." Abraxas laughed, slapping her shoulder, "Look, I normally don't say this right off the bat, but I know that you're a special one, a keeper for sure."

"Okay, I'm listening." Kuro said, amused as she waited for some sort of punchline.

Instead, Abraxas grabbed her by the collar, a same sort of dead serious look in his eye, "If you do anything to screw us over, I don't care if it was on accident, I will personally hunt you down and make sure you suffer and wish for God to reach down and save you."

"...Point taken." Kuro gulped.

Abraxas gave her one more look, before grinning, "Sorry about that, big bro Shax makes it a sort of unsaid requirement to make sure that whoever we're working with is to be trusted, but I'm sure that you won't even think to try and sneaky shit now, would you?"

"Not at all." Kuro said, grinning awkwardly. It wasn't till now Kuro could spot the similarity between the two.

They weren't half bad at threats and getting what they wanted.

"Good! Now, since you're my problem, I guess I'll have to just go and show you everything I know." Abraxas said, pulling something out of his back pocket, before tossing it her way, "Starting with this."

Catching the item, Kuro studied it, only to snicker, "What, did you steal this gun from up above? Won't kill, but it's sure to at least give one hell of a headache."

"The gun itself is the same, made down here or up there, there's no real difference." Abraxas said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "It's the bullets that really make anything count."

"So, it has shards for bullets?" Kuro muttered, before grinning, giving him a look, "Isn't that far past illegal?"

"It's just as bad as the knife in your sleeve." Abraxas shot right back, "But since you'll be taking up on Nazun's role, you're gonna have to learn about Sneakery 101."

"Right." Kuro sighed, looking the gun over, "I thought that sneaking was more than half silence."

She'd never held a gun before, and to think that she'd have to shoot one worried her, just a tiny bit. She'd never killed before, and she'd seen what it did to the humans up there. The only huge difference between demons and humans was the life span and abilities.

"It's more like insurance then your main weapon." Abraxas insisted, before walking over to the wall, pulling what looked to be a hidden panel away to reveal a sort of worn-down target, "We'll have you stick to the knife and whatever you can find where you are, but the gun is when you're all out of other options. With that said, go ahead and give it a whirl."

Nodding, Kuro held the gun with both hands, the metal being a bit heavier then she'd thought it would be, before taking aim.

Once she pulled the trigger, Kuro jumped, the sudden bang from the gun making her drop it, squeaking as she held her hands over her ears.

She absolutely HATED loud sudden sounds.

Once the ringing was free from her ears, she could hear...No way, was he really…?

"That...was absolutely hilarious!" Abraxas cackled, falling over and rolling around on the ground, laughing as if he'd never get the chance once again.

"No, it wasn't!" Kuro scowled, giving him a look.

Abraxas finally stopped laughing, getting up, only to slap her back, "You know, if that's how you react to this, I can't wait to go ahead and teach you all the other things you'll have to learn. Let's start off with hide and seek with guns, shall we?"

"Something tells me that I won't like this." Kuro grumbled, rubbing the back of her neck.


	16. His Fair Lady, Public

**Hiya, Crimson here!**

 **Just a quick update, my PM system isn't working to well, being for both sending and responding messages. So, my solution is that if you want to, you can contact me on black butler Amino. If you're on the app, of course.**

 **Incase you didn't know, my profile name is JustAnotherSebastianFan, and I like to post random shit XD.**

 **So, with that said...**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

"I'm nervous, Vanth." Kuro mumbled, looking herself over in the mirror.

She'd woken up with only a note on the nightstand saying that she'd meet him at the entrance of the main door within two hours.

That, and when she opened the door, Vanth was there, saying that she had been waiting to help her into an outfit of her choosing.

She honestly couldn't have cared less; the dress wasn't too bad. It was a rather lovely shade of dark blue, the skirt ending right under the knee, as well as short yet somehow elegant sleeves.

It was just short enough so that she could still run if it was needed, but also long enough not to make her look like every other succubus.

"Well, it c-can't be that bad." Vanth insisted, as she did her hair. Kuro couldn't help but think of her like a little sister that enjoyed braiding other's hair, "I'm sure t-that it'll be like any other date!"

"Would you believe me if I said I've never been on a date before?" Kuro mumbled.

"W-WHAT!?" Vanth squeaked, before clearing her throat, "Is t-that so?"

"I've never had much of an interest when it came to dating." Kuro stated, yawning, "Sure, there's a cute guy here and there, but usually I just accept that they're out of my league and move on."

"Surely y-you've gone and d-done something." Vanth insisted.

"You are aware that I'm Sloth, right?" Kuro asked, before grinning, "But, other than when Shax needed a job done and someone to disappear, I haven't really ever been on a date."

"Aww...O-okay." Vanth sighed, brushing her hair.

Kuro couldn't help but give her a look over her shoulder, "Why? Hoping I'd drop you some juicy details?"

"W-what! No!" Vanth exclaimed, only to look around, shaking her head, "Well...You are g-good at telling stories."

"Well, if I had anything to tell, I'd be happy to entertain." Kuro said, "So, are you done with my hair yet?"

"Almost got it." Vanth murmured. Kuro felt too more tugs from the back of her head, "Done!"

Kuro looked over to the mirror on her vanity, her hair had been twisted up on a rather fancy fashion, making it a lot shorter than usual, "Well, it doesn't look bad."

"I'm pleased to see that you're happy with it." Vanth said, sliding off of the bed, before bowing, "Is there anything else that I could do for you? Maybe I could get you a new pair of heels, possibly apply some make-up for you?"

"No, I got it from here, I assure you." Kuro sighed, stretching her arms out, before sighing, "Thanks for your time, Vanth."

Vanth nodded, sending her a small smile, "Don't worry about your date, you'll do great!" Vanth said, before exiting, closing the door behind her.

Kuro groaned, holding her forehead. She wondered if it was too late for her to back out at this point. She shook her head, no, she had promised him, and in all honesty, it would most likely bother her if she didn't.

Groaning, Kuro dusted off her dress, before making her way for the door.

* * *

"Someone looks more dressed up than usual."

Corvus scowled, "If you are only here to be a bother, then I suggest you leave, Aranea."

"I'm not being a bother, I'm simply making a comment." The spider demon sighed, fixing his glasses, "Do you plan to go out?"

"Why, as a matter of fact, I do." Corvus said, fixing his tie. Fancy was a major understatement. The coat he wore was one that had been just sent in that very morning. It was a nice obsidian black that looked purple under the hellish red sun, the crisp white shirt underneath making it look that much nicer. He had made sure that his dress pants had been ironed right before putting them on, his black tie as well.

He had made sure to have left a note before leaving the room and the still asleep Kuro, making sure that everything in the bedroom was ready for when she's awake, before going out to make sure that all of the preparations had been put into place.

"In that case, take your time." Aranea sighed, taking his glasses off, wiping the lenses, "You'll be happy to know that no one will be missing your presence."

"We both know that such a thing would be a lie." Corvus said, laughing rather cruelly, before looking up the stairs, "And there is my beautiful date."

The two watched, each with their own type of awe, as Kuro walked down the stairs.

Corvus had to admit, she was already a sort of diamond in the rough, but to see her dressed up in such a fashion made her really pop. Moments like these he couldn't imagine why she'd ever bother with casual hoodies and those disgusting ripped jeans of hers, it did little to make her stand out.

Aranea, on the other hand, was in awe of the same yet different reason. While he liked how she looked, it seemed so...odd for her. It was like trying to put a pretty pink dress on himself. While the clothing looked good and he himself wasn't bad on the eyes, putting the two together didn't look natural. It was the same thing with her.

The moment she got down to the last step, Corvus reached out to hold her hand, "You look lovely, Kitten."

"Whatever," Kuro groaned, and yet, Aranea could see that she was holding a bit of that amusing sarcasm back. He couldn't help but wonder why, yet at the same time, it wasn't his place to ask, "What do you have planned for today?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Corvus insisted, shooting Aranea a sly smirk, before walking out, a hand over the small of Kuro's back, "Now, if you'll excuse us."

The spider demon watched the two leave, before sighing, putting his glasses back on, fixing them. He then walked away, he wanted nothing to do with the Crow, and he was sure that, even if it was a game, he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt his prize.

As long as Kuro was safe, Aranea really couldn't ask for more.

...At least, that's what he thought at first.

* * *

The moment they stepped out of the castle, Kuro could already feel the stares and looks she was getting. Or no, it was Corvus that got them at first, the eyes would slowly but surely travel from the highly esteemed prince of Pride down to her.

She didn't want to think of what they thought of her, much less want to know.

She took her eyes off of all of the rich demons, the women wearing fancy yet slutty dresses with the men looking on better, to look at all the even fancier buildings that outlined the roads before them.

It was nothing like the Rift, the only similarity being the red sun above them. The buildings looked like they were a hellish version of Panem from The Hunger Games, something she wanted to point out only to shake her head.

If no one in the Rift knew what she was talking about, she doubted that a bunch of privileged soul suckers would know them either.

Walking past the buildings, she couldn't help but stop and stare at not only to buildings, but also the other demons from time to time. After maybe the third time of her stopping out of nowhere, Corvus sighed, "Is there something you'd like to look at?"

"Hmm?" Kuro asked, taking one last look at the building, before walking on, "No, it's just that this place is so...different then the Rift."

"I can understand that, but I'd assume that you would have grown use to it at this point." Corvus stated, eyeing the others around them that would cast him winks and kisses, "Being how you do have a fairly good vantage point from our room."

"There's a difference between watching from afar and being in the action, you know." Kuro murmured, half of her mind drifting off to all the odd things from behind those windows. From what she could see, there were no fights inside of any of the stores, no secret dealings of Amarix or other spiced-up medication, no nothing from the Rift.

It felt a bit too safe for hell.

"I guess you do have a point." She heard Corvus murmur, before walking up to a rather fancy building, opening the door, "After you."

Giving him an odd look, Kuro walked into the establishment, only to gag slightly.

EVERYTHING was pink. It was an unhealthy overdose of the color, and she was pretty sure her allergy to pink was beginning to act up.

"Are you alright?" Corvus asked behind her, closing the door.

"I'm just not use to all of this...Ugh." Kuro mumbled, rubbing her eyes to get a better look at the place. It looked as if someone had gone back into ancient Rome, brought it down here, and then went pink crazy.

The spiral columns looked rather elegant, to the point where Kuro wanted to ask if she could put some authentic chips into it. The chairs and tables looked to be made of the same material as their bed, not to mention all of the damn tapestries.

She couldn't help but wonder if the nobles down here got off to all this old fancy shit, since it was the only decor she's yet to see around here.

"Good morning to you, Prince Crow!" Said a chip voice from above Kuro. Looking up, a fairly well-dressed man stood, clad in a suit and coat of a darker shade of pink, "As requested, the restaurant has been cleared out as to avoid onlookers! We've also set up out best table for the two of you. If you'd be so kind as to follow me!"

Once her head was a bit clearer, she followed the waiter deep into the restaurant, walking into the back of the place, before it opened up into a smaller private room.

Still pink, it seemed to be reserved for expensive dates or simply for two people. The table had been adorned with a white tablecloth, the only thing that wasn't the same nauseating shade, which held a single candle and a vase with two roses, both looking fake.

Ever since Arc had taken her to the garden, the roses used as decoration no longer looked perfect. Sure, she'd seen flowers on the surface, but even than it would be for a fleeting moment.

She took a seat, looking around, searching for something that wasn't pink. Noticing, Corvus cleared his throat, gaining Kuro's attention, "Is there something wrong, Kitten?"

"Nah, it's just...This pink is giving me a headache." Kuro said, laughing lightly. It was just so...Damn girly, it was going to make her puke rainbows.

"Ah, so that's an issue for you…" Corvus murmured, before snapping his fingers. In a flash, that same waiter came right back.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, placing the menu's down, as well as two cups of hell's red-tinted water.

"Well, this color isn't doing any favors for my fiancée." Corvus said, pulling that last word for as long as it could naturally go. It made Kuro cringe a bit, "If you'd be so kind as to fix that problem."

"Oh...Yes, yes, of course." The waiter said, before rushing off, "Just a moment."

Kuro couldn't help but give Corvus the eyebrow, sipping the blood water. Even the water tasted more expensive than what she was worth. Just what were they gonna do, repaint the whole place?

The waiter rushed back in, whispering something to Corvus, who nodded, getting up, "Just for you, darling." He said, peeking a quick kiss to Kuro's cheek, before covering her eyes.

She was so tempted to sock him right then and there, once for the unwanted kiss and another for covering her eyes, but as quickly as he'd covered them, he took his hands away.

The pink had been replaced with a deep shade of red, with black designs snaking up and down the walls. Kuro couldn't lie, "It's beautiful." She murmured, dazed, only to snap out of it, "Hold up, did you just order them to repaint the room?"

"Only the best for you." Corvus sighed, looking over the room once more, "It's a nice blood color, and yet, it's sending chills down my spine...Maybe I should have it changed again-."

"Please don't." Kuro sighed, looking the menu over. She really didn't want to fight over something like this, but it didn't matter if he was a royal, this was...a bit much.

Everything on the menu was in French. Turning the menu upside down, she gave a small whine, cursing. She'd learned German and a bit of Japanese, but never had the chance to pick up French.

Not that she really had the time, from what she understood in her time up there, the French were the enemy. So, the only interaction she would get was from when they held the men in the prisons.

"Is there another problem, Kitten?" Corvus asked, setting his menu down to give her his attention.

She was tempted to say something, only to shake her head, "Nah, it's fine."

Giving her an odd look, he shook his head, "You're not a good liar." Corvus murmured, before snapping his fingers once again.

The same poor waiter rushed back in, "What can I do for you, my Prince?"

"I don't think that my beloved can find anything she likes on the menu." Corvus sighed, making Kuro cringe. This wasn't going where she thought it was going, right?

The waiter only bowed, "We can have that changed, my Prince." He said, before whipping out two completely different menus, "Instead of French, the chef has made a separate menu for our Japanese cuisine."

"Is that what you'd like, Kitten?" Corvus asked, as the waiter swapped out the menus.

"No no, this is great, really!" Kuro said, hoping that he'd stop. Really, this was beginning to get embarrassing and a bit childish, to a point.

The two quickly ordered from the menu, Kuro doing so quickly so that Corvus wouldn't have a chance to do something else stupid, like changing the tablecloth to a different shade of white.

Once the waiter ran off to get the meals, Corvus looked to the table, "Kuro."

"Hmm?" She murmured, having been absentmindedly fiddling with her fork, "What's up?"

"I feel that, even if we are meant to be together in the future, we do not know much of anything about each other." Corvus sighed, "I was wondering if you'd answer a few of my questions. About your time on the surface."

"Oh, okay." Kuro murmured, a bit curious as to what he might ask. She had nothing to hide when it came to what had happened and what she'd done up there, it was her life in the Rift she'd sworn to tell no one about.

None but those she could trust, like Vanth.

"Is it safe to assume that you obtained your nickname from up there?" Corvus asked, his full attention making Kuro feel a bit off. She liked it more when no one noticed her around, "And if so, how did you get that name?"

"I was working with someone the mortals called 'Adolf Hitler'." Kuro said, "With my help, he became dictator of the Nazi party in Germany."

"But where did you get a Japanese name?" Corvus asked. To this, Kuro wanted to question him right back. Any decent demon knew that small talk would normally get you nowhere, it would be used to attain information to later use as any type of blackmail. With that said, none of this would be relevant to anything that Corvus would want.

"I got it when I was briefly assigned to Hiroshima, since the Japanese were on the side of the Germans." Kuro muttered, a small grin on her face, "The contract name he gave me was Adaliz Jaeger, but there was a…slip up when we went for the visit."

"Oh?" Corvus asked.

"I won't go into it, but it was...bad, to say the least. We had traitors, and I was ordered to take care of them in my own...special fashion. Those who witnessed vowed to say nothing, but they gave me a nickname. 'Aku no kuroi chi', the black blood of evil."

"...And where is your name in that?" Corvus asked, puzzled.

Kuro snickered lightly, "Black is Kuro and evil is Akuhei, hence the name I go by, obviously." She said, about to go on, only to be interrupted when the waiter came back.

All the food here, whether made within the castle or i just another fancy eatery, all had that light blue glow, as if to prove that it was either made from a soul or they really did just like that light color.

After serving, the waiter bowed, before rushing out quickly, as if he didn't want any other stupid changes to be made at the moment, not that she could blame him, "What about you?"

"Whatever do you mean by that?" Corvus asked, picking at his food.

"Surely you've worked a contract before," Kuro asked, the smell coming from the table intoxicating, "Right?"

"While a contract to a human isn't necessary for me, I've been under short service to humans before." Corvus said, looking rather bored, "As I'm sure you've noticed, us nobility aren't required to take up something as insignificant as a contract to stay alive and well."

"I've been meaning to ask about that," Kuro said, at this point just hoping to keep a conversation going that didn't include him trying to flirt, "What is it with all the...the soul food around here? Do we have a secret farm of humans I don't know about?"

"Nonsense, it's much simpler than that." Corvus insisted, "While in the Rift, I'm sure that you go onto contract for your own meals, we have some people that are part of a, special team if you will. They are able to enter special short-term contracts, that's how we have enough."

"Huh," Kuro murmured, "What's a short-term contract?"

"Just a contract that is normally something so simple that it could be done in a matter of hours, to the point where it seems as if two or more could be taken on at once." Corvus explained, only to find her still confused, "Are you still lost?"

"You know it." Kuro mumbled, "You nobles are so odd."

"Some humans," Corvus went on, ignoring what little comment she had made, "The poor and simple ones, they want the simplest of things. Not that I could blame them, some are at the point of death, others simply don't want to be alive anymore. I'm sure that, if I were anything like them, I might grow a bit empathy and possibly pity for them."

"Well, at least it explains where all of this is from." Kuro murmured, looking over the now cleaned plate before her, "But that wasn't my original question."

Corvus wiped his mouth with a napkin, nodding, "Ah, I apologize, I once worked under a rather...short man, in France. I believe his name was Napoleon Bonaparte. He had me under the name of Sévère Archambault."

"Well, that certainly sounds fancy." Kuro murmured, sipping the last of her water, before looking around, "So…I don't mean to rush this along, but...Is there anything else for the two of us to do here, or…?"

Confused, Corvus gave her a look, before it seemed to click in his mind, as he stood up, "Oh, of course, after all, we have so much more to do today."

Kuro nodded, standing from her seat, before looking at the table, "Oh shoot, how much was all of-?"

"Don't worry about it." Corvus said, interrupting her with a small smile, before gently grabbing her arm, "Come now, there's a lot to see and even more that can be done."

Umm...Okay." Kuro murmured, looking back over to the table, before following him out.

Right before they left the room, she took one last look, locking eyes with the waiter who had just walked in, only to do a double take for a moment.

Was it just her, or was he giving her a rather nasty look?

...Nah, she hadn't done anything wrong yet.

...Right?

* * *

Corvus lead her through the many streets of what looked to be a shopping district, with many others walking around, in and out of multiple shops. But, what got to her was the fact that, even with all of the other demons around them, there was always a straight path for them.

It was as if they all wanted to steer clear of the couple.

But no, that wasn't right, there was the occasional female, each looking more revealing then the last. But, with each one, Corvus would only smile before walking on, ignoring them.

Kuro couldn't help but snicker, only to notice how, when she turned around, they'd give her rather dirty and nasty looks, just like that waiter.

"Kitten? Hello?"

Kuro shook her head, chuckling awkwardly, "Ah, sorry about that, I'm just...thinking."

Corvus gave her a look, only to shrug it off, "Is there any shop that you'd like to look at, Dearest?"

Once again ignoring the pet name, she looked around, only to cringe a bit. It was like being in a different reality, it looked so similar but so different from the Rift, it was starting to really fuck with her.

Looking through the shop windows, most of it were just shopping stores with dresses that were either much too fancy or much too...revealing. One shop she had to do a double take, as a demon walked out with...Is that a human?

"I thought that we don't have humans down here." Kuro muttered, watching the human get walked away, wearing nothing but a loincloth and a collar attached to the leash the demon used.

"Ah, those are the worst of the worst." Corvus murmured, the two watching, one looking much more appalled then the other, "My father recently had the issue of Limbo being over populated, as well as a lot of the nobles going hungry and moving to the Rift in search of a better life."

"That seems counter-productive." Kuro murmured.

"So, the solution was to take these damned from their punishments and sold to demons for whatever they see fit." Corvus went on.

"Why would anyone want a human for anything?" Kuro asked, confused.

"They have more than one purpose." Corvus defended, "This is just how the inner part of hell works. Here, humans go from being pets to being cattle. They could be used in labor or killed for sport."

"So, do the nobles not take on contracts?" Kuro asked, trying to ignore how unsettling it was to see a human like that, especially down here. It was just so...out of place.

"While it is an option, it is not a necessity for us nobles to do." Corvus cleared up.

Kuro couldn't help but think of how different the Rift would be if something like this were an option. There would be much fewer starving demons on the streets. There would be less demons at the bar, going on and on about their shit experiences from up above.

"Culture shock" wasn't even beginning to cover it.

She was finally snapped out of it when something in the window caught her eye. She stopped, causing Corvus to do the same, watching her with an amused yet lost look, "Kitten?"

"...It's beautiful." Was all she murmured, before walking in, ignoring Corvus when he tried to get her attention.

For the few seconds that she'd left Corvus behind her, she stood there in the doorway, enchanted.

There were so many shiny things in here.

She'd never seen a store like this, one that was filled with so many bright and shimmering colors.

"Welcome to Arioch's jewelry," A voice to the side said, "We hold only the best gems, stones and crystals hell has to offer."

She didn't really bother to pay the demon any attention, as she walked over to one of the various displays. The dim room really did well to bring out the shine in each and every diamond, a bright color of light that she just couldn't look away.

She heard the door open and close from behind her, most likely Corvus, who began to trade formalities with the owner, she assumed, "I do apologize, she's from the Rift."

"As if that much wasn't obvious."

While it bothered her in the back of her head, she couldn't rip her gaze away from the gemstones.

They were easily beautiful.

"See one that you like?"

As per usual, Corvus' voice was enough to snap her out of it, as she whipped around to give him a slightly annoyed look, "Yeh, all of them." She joked, nearly pressing her face to the glass, "We don't have anything like this in the Rift. If we did, it would have been raided centuries ago. Maybe even farther back."

"Oh?" Corvus asked, before reaching out to hold her hand, inspecting it, "Then, pray tell, where did you get this old thing?"

"Hey, don't touch!" She nearly shouted, ripping her hand away, "Don't rub the good luck off with your rich people hands!"

"...I beg a pardon?"

"I've had it for as long as I could remember." Kuro murmured, rubbing the gem three times as if it were a ritual, "It's my good luck charm."

"The ruby is a bit dull to be good luck, don't you think?" Corvus pointed out, before snapping his fingers, "Mr. Arioch, a word?"

"How can I be of service, Prince Crow?" The demon asked, appearing at their side in an instant.

"I'd like to see your finest selection of rings." Corvus said. Kuro winced slightly, his tone sounded more like an order then a request.

Either way, she didn't like it.

Within seconds, the jeweler returned back to their side, holding a tray of expensive looking rocks.

Kuro had a fairly very hard time pulling her eyes off of the radiant gleam they were giving off. Corvus seemed to notice it as well, "Any catch your eye, Kitten?"

"Honestly?" All of them." Kuro murmured. She couldn't help it, she loved shiny. Shiny was good, especially for a cat.

"Then that is what we'll be leaving with." Corvus concluded, a shit eating smile on his face.

"Wait, huh?" Kuro asked, a bit confused.

"You like all of them, do you not?" Corvus asked, looking over another display as the owner walked into a back room, the tray of expensive rings with him, "That's what we'll be getting today."

"That's a bit much, don't you think?" Kuro said, a bit apprehensive, "I mean, even if you're royal, that's gotta make some sort of dent in your wallet-."

"I assure you when I say that money isn't an issue." Corvus interrupted, insistent on the fact.

"But still, think about it." Kuro said, for once trying to talk some sense without being manipulative, "I'll probably never get the chance to use all of those, and after some time, they'll all look like my ring or worse. It's not worth it."

"Why are you so stubborn on everything?" Corvus sighed, shaking his head, "Could you just allow me to go out of my way to try and do something nice for you?"

Kuro was ready to go out on him, only to stop. It was her fault that this was even happening in the first place, so, maybe it was for the best that she'd decided to step down, "...Fine."

Corvus let out a deep sigh of relief, "Thank you." He muttered, just as Arioch walked back in, a fancy black box in hand.

"Here you are, Prince Crow." He said formally, before bowing to Kuro, "My lady."

"Ah, thank you Mr. Arioch." Corvus murmured, before offering Kuro his arm, "Now, shall we be off?"

Kuro was stuck in a small daze, maybe from all the shiny rocks, before shaking her head, "Yeah, yeah okay." She murmured, taking his arm.

Right at the doorway, she was ready to turn around to thank the owner, only to be met with a steely irritated glare. She swore, with the look he had, he looked just like the waiter.

"Kitten? Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Kuro murmured, before shaking her head, "No, my bad, I was just...thinking."

She didn't want to turn around again as they both walked out. This whole date thing wasn't going to end well.

* * *

The stares were really starting to get to her.

She'd try to look away, not wanting to start a fight here and now, especially in a dress and in noble streets, but that want and need to tell people off was slowly rising in her chest.

But, to her amusement and slight amazement Corvus did all he could to take her mind off of it, intentionally or not she didn't know. They had gone into many shops, Kuro looking around like an amazed child.

She couldn't help but notice that Corvus was very attentive, even if he used that to buy her everything she had an interest in. If he caught her looking at a display in a window or a set of something (usually shiny) for much too long, he'd have it bagged and ready to take back to the castle.

There was a point where there were so many bags that, because he wouldn't allow Kuro to carry anything, he had a nearby squadron of guards to take care of it.

Yet another thing that she'd noticed, there were guards stationed all over the place. It was similar to how it was when she was in Germany, just not as obvious and over-leering.

Finally, the two had stopped at some cafe-looking building, the two of them sitting down on an outside table.

Kuro couldn't help but sip happily at her smoothie, it was damn good. But, just like it had been breaking her down the whole day, the irritated stares of the shop keepers and some others who'd walk by we're making her question just how bloodthirsty she was at the moment.

With that thought, she couldn't help but feel like she was going into killing withdrawal, it was getting really bad with how these people seemed to just want to throw down.

She didn't need a weapon to take a rich bitch down.

"It is quite difficult to keep your attention, isn't it?"

Kuro shook her head, giving Corvus a sheepish grin, "Sorry about it, I just...notice everything."

"I'm pretty sure that something like that is what humans would call 'a mental condition'." Corvus said, looking like he just wanted conversation.

She couldn't blame him, she'd probably want the same on a date, "Call it what you will, whatever it is, it's kept me alive and going up till now."

"If I may ask, how was life for you in the Rift?" Corvus asked.

"Well...It was tough." Kuro said, hoping not to give away anything that would be seen as "illegal" to a rich person, "Started out in the slums, can't remember anything before that. I won't lie, I did a lot of...stealing in those days."

"Is that how you got the ring?" Corvus asked.

"No. At least, I don't think so." Kuro murmured, rubbing the ruby, "I've had this just as long, maybe longer."

"And yet you have no jeweler in the Rift." Corvus pointed out.

To this, Kuro shrugged, taking another sip, "If it gives me a headache to try and think back, so I don't care much to try and figure it out."

"...You are strangely detached when it comes to certain matters." Corvus stated.

Kuro shrugged, "In all fairness, I prefer the term 'apathetic'." Kuro corrected, part of her mind keeping up the conversation, while the other half took in the surroundings.

She could hear two women to her side and their walking by conversation, catching words like "Tramp" and "Gold Digger".

No way they were talking about her, right?

"Call it what you would." Corvus murmured, before reaching out to hold her hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.

To this, Kuro chuckled awkwardly, before slowing pulling her hand back, "Look, I just started to warm up to you, so let's try to stay away from underhanded insults, yes?"

Corvus looked confused, as if he didn't know exactly what was wrong, before someone's hands slammed down on the table the two sat at.

Kuro boredly looked up from her drink, meeting eyes with a rather familiar succubus, "Oh, what's good snake slut?"

"How long are you planning to pretend!?" Andras shouted at her, scoffing. Kuro hadn't seen her since that hellish night, and in no way was that a pun.

"Well that's no way for you to greet an old pal." Kuro murmured, taking another sip of her drink.

"Can it, kitty cat." Andras scowled.

Corvus cleared his throat, trying to look as irritated yet gentlemanly as possible, "I do apologize, but I'll have to ask you to leave. You're interrupting our date."

"Don't get me wrong, Prince Crow," Andras said, her tone and voice taking to a much more girly feel, "But someone like HER doesn't deserve you!"

Kuro wasn't sure what to feel. No doubt that, with everyone watching, she was slowly but surely becoming embarrassed. But, at the same time, if she ignored the onlookers, it was becoming a bit funny as well. Not only because this hot shot that helped to get her into this mess is willing to go out of her way to try and screw her up, but it was also a chance to see how Corvus would react.

Part of her really wanted to know how bad of a reaction she could get.

"I don't believe that we asked for your opinion." Corvus said, seeming to try and kindly usher Andras away.

"You and I both know the fucked-up angle you're trying to play, Tempter." Andras growled, seeming to ignore Corvus for just a moment, "Trying to take advantage of our prince like this, have you no shame?"

To this, Kuro sat there, confused, "...Huh?"

Andras scoffed, slowly getting louder, "You think that we don't see you, a shallow cheap Rifter, with our beloved prince of the future?"

Kuro wasn't an idiot, she knew that she was trying to attract a crowd and make a scene. The cat demon lazily looked around at those who had gathered, "Do you all have nothing better to do with your spoiled rich lives?"

"No, you don't, you're not about to go off on us!" Andras shouted, "You should feel ashamed for taking the heart of a prince for personal gain!"

"Well you should be ashamed of yourself for being such a hoe." Kuro yawned right back, "Oh, that's right, my bad. I forgot that that's the only thing girls are around here for."

"How...How dare you, like, make fun of us!" Andras shouted, clearly beginning to panic. In all honesty, it was fun to watch her slowly break under all the pressure of a crowd. Especially when it was one you called, you had to deliver if you promised a show, "We, unlike you, have a little something called class!"

"Well, if being classy meant looking like I'm trying to have knee-flaps, then I'll pass." Kuro said, a small smirk on her face.

All the while, Andras gave her a look, "...Knee-flaps?"

"...Really? You don't get that term?" Kuro asked, before cracking up, "Try look between your legs when you get home."

Just like that, Andras' face went hell-sun red, "Listen here, you manipulative two-faced bitch of a slut-."

That seemed to be the breaking point for a certain Crow demon.

A strong down gust made Kuro look up, eyes locking with the slightly irritated demon. His two black feathered wings had sent down the strong gust, pushing Andras back.

Kuro laughed awkwardly, giving Corvus a weak smile, "Bird brain? You okay? Seriously, it's cool, I can take a few insults- hey!"

Her speech was halted when two arms picked her up, tossing her over an all too familiar shoulder, "Listen well, each and every one of you! I don't plan to repeat this, so pay attention!"

"Hey, calm it down up there?" Kuro murmured, a sort of dead expression on her face. Fuck, this isn't really funny anymore, "Come on, dude; we really don't have to-."

"This woman is your newest princess, and I expect the demons under my father's rule to treat her in such a way!" Corvus shouted, "How despicable, to think that my father's top demons would assume chivalry to be dead. How utterly shameful."

"Look, you're not bad with your words and all, but you really shouldn't-."

"And YOU." Corvus scowled, giving Andras a look. The succubus gulped, backing up a bit, "How dare you speak to my beloved in such a tone. It's foul, disgusting; just like the scum you are."

"Come on man, you can come up with better-."

Kuro yelped, as Corvus suddenly took off, straight up into the sky. Once again, Kuro's insides threatened to become outsides, as Corvus flew off, taking her with him, "DAMN IT, WARN ME BEFORE YOU PULL SOME SHIT LIKE THAT!"

Corvus said nothing back, as he took her back to the castle. Kuro could only sigh, trying not to look down at the ground. It really did help the damn height problem. She was having a hard time reading him, especially when she couldn't see his face and expression.

Was he irritated? If she were in his position, there would be a slight chance that she'd be mad, but at the same time, it wasn't like anyone insulted him directly.

Surely, he couldn't get this worked up just because some basic bitch was trying to throw down with her, right?

...But then again...Whatever was left of Winter was gone now thanks to the Prince…

She didn't have time to complete the thought, when Corvus finally touched down on their balcony. He nearly ripped the door open, his grip leaving indents in the stainless steel, before placing her down on the bed.

Confused, Kuro looked up, only to watch as Corvus made his way for the door, "...Corvus?" Kuro said, her voice sounding a lot lighter than normal.

Her only answer was Corvus stopping, standing right next to the door, "I, umm, just wanted to say thank you. For the date." Kuro said, suddenly sheepish.

She waited for him to say something, but when the silence became a bit much, she went on, "I've never really been on a real date, going out with someone, before." She rambled, for once a bit at a loss for words, causing a whole lot of unnecessary words, "So, umm, thanks for all of that, I guess, right?"

Corvus turned to look at her, giving her a small smile, "I'm glad." Was all he said, before leaving out the door, closing it with little to no sound.

Kuro groaned, falling back on the bed while holding her head. There was too much going on, she just needed a small break, she just needed a tiny bit of shut eye.

And so, within seconds, Kuro was out cold on the bed, the worry for Corvus and the Rift drifting away, at least for a moment.

* * *

"Heard of the news?"

"There's a whole lot of it, you're gonna have to be more specific."

"The stuff on the new princess."

This caught Shax's ear, as he continued to wipe down the table, remaining aloof.

Kuro would be proud.

"Yeah, I heard a bit. Heard that she became public."

"Oh, so it's official?"

"Oh, you bet. And you can guess how the nobility are reacting."

"Ah yes, they're gonna be willing to spill blood when a 'Tempter' is new royalty."

"Not that it'll be any worse for us, have you seen the guard increase? Whoever's in charge up there, they seem to have a problem with us."

Shax made a mental note to have Vale send this information to Kuro in any way that he could.

"Yeh, but have you heard the word around? The casuals here are calling her a traitor."

"Well, I don't blame them. Same would be said for a noble to suddenly join and try to rally us in the Rift."

"Royal status really doesn't do much for you now, does it?"

Shax sighed, watching as Vale came down from upstairs, the two making brief eye contact before Vale went to sit next to the two chatting, listening in much closer.

"I heard that, because the Rifter was with a prince, they didn't have to pay for anything."

"So, you heard about it too? I heard it's because the prince is an arrogant fool."

"Either way, the nobles seem as irritated as us."

"You think that, because of all of this, someone start a war?"

Vale and Shax both stiffened up, just a tiny bit, a single eye twitch and nothing more.

"Honestly? It looks like it. As long as that Rifter is within the castle walls, there will be little to nothing that the nobility won't do to get her out."

"And they can't do much because of the prince. So that means we're gonna have a whole lot of animosity between us and them."

Shax was done listening to this. He gave Vale a look, before walking off into the back, closing the door to the kitchen behind him.

He walked into his safe room, after making sure that no one was hiding around, before locking himself in with only the smell of old paper and scrolls.

To think that Kuro, the laziest of them all, was going to start a war just by being there.

"Of all the times to become lazy, a hell of a time you decided now." Shax sighed, before sitting in a corner, pulling up an old leather-bound book.

* * *

 **Wow this took forever.**

 **A short story I know that no one cares for, the laptop I was working on crashed, and it took the whole chapter down with it. So, of course, the entire thing was wiped. This was suppose to be updated maybe a week later, but of course it takes me maybe a bit less then a month.**

 **So, umm, yeah, sorry.**

 **Oh, before people get mad because hell is different from what the bible told you, this is just my iteration.**

 **I like to idea of being able to change the ideas and apply a different sort of light on something everyone knows and has a decent idea about. It's kinda like what Rick Riordan did with Greek myths. Just for simplicity, I decided to kinda base hell off of my other iteration of London, just tweeked here and there.**

 **So, sorry if I somehow offended anyone with this idea of hell in my head, please don't flame.**

 **Amy: You know what this fanfiction could use.**

 **Erin: You're going to tell us even if we don't want to hear it, don't you?**

 **Amy: Needs more actions scenes.**

 **Erin: I called that shit. Miu, you owe me $20.**

 **Miu: B-but I didn't b-b-bet.**

 **Erin: Too bad. Pay up.**

 **Kuro: You know what this author's notes need?**

 **Erin: Aww crap, another Amy.**

 **Kuro: Less OC time. You guys are so loud, this is the only time I get to take a damn nap.**

 **Lilith: I can agree to that.**

 **Kuro: See? I got the cold heartless one on my side. I want a fucking medal.**

 **Erin: How about a nap instead?**

 **Kuro:...I'll take that.**

 **Me:...You know, looking back, this whole OC in the author's note thing has changed so much.**

 **Amy: That happens when you create a million OC's.**

 **Lilith: These aren't many of us, and two of us are cut.**

 **Katrina: Just because I don't have my story still going on doesn't mean I'm forgotten.**

 **Amy: No one is going to forget your shit story any time soon know-it-all.**

 **Me: Alright, Imma end it now before we get a fight in here. Also, I doubt that anyone really reads this part anyway.**

 **So, I hope that you all enjoyed, I live and breathe for reviews, and I hope to please you all with the next chapter!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	17. His Fair Lady, Growing Curious

**Hi hi!**

 **This took stupid long, but on the good side, I finally got my laptop up and running, so we'll be back to my spastic but quicker updates hopefully!**

 **Looking this story over, I'm really taking my time with how the narrative grows. It's a lot less than the other things I've written, but I'll admit, it's kind of a nice contrast from the usual action I try to write.**

 **Of course, it's not all going to be this sort of awkward romantic "Oh-God-everyone-loves-me-but-I-swear-to-God-I'm-not-a-Mary-Sue" crap, partly because I'm a hopeless romantic that has no real life outside of being a nerd. But hey, may I be damned if I try and imagine it!**

 **...This is getting no where, so I'll stop stalling.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Corvus was a mess.

From the moment that the succubus walked up to their table, he knew something was off. Then she started to speak.

To think that she'd allow a foul mouth to make an appearance before him.

And then, when he was sure that Kuro would get mad, all she did was send quips back, as if it was just another normal occurrence!

And so, since she almost refused to do anything about it, it was up to him to take over and make sure that her pride didn't die to this!

But even as he was telling the crowd off, she still told him to calm down! To stop! How could she not see the threat to her reputation? To think that a princess would ever think to allow herself to be spoken to in such a way!

And then, to add to the flurry of emotion, she had thanked him. She had whole heartedly thanked him, even though the end of said date turned out to be a disaster.

He had been ready to be furious with not just the situation, but with her as well. Did she not see that he was trying to make it a special perfect day for the two of them!?

But, then again, she did say that she had never been on a date before…

Corvus groaned, holding his head. It was too much, he was willing to stalk it up to having had stayed up late last night to make sure that all the preparations had been in order.

He wandered into the library, making sure to get to his secluded little spot, before sighing, rubbing his eyes. He hoped that, while it wasn't a success, it wasn't for naught.

Groaning, he gave the stack of books to his side a look. Those should be enough to keep him busy for a while...

* * *

Kuro woke up to the sound of knocking. She groaned, rolling out of bed, before slowly dragging herself to the door. It wasn't Vanth's delicate knocking, it was some heavy-duty shit from the other side.

"Who is it?"

"Arc."

"No no no," Kuro murmured, grinning as she opened the door for the spider demon, "You're supposed to start a knock knock joke!"

"...Knock knock joke?"

"You know what, just drop it." Kuro murmured, waiting for him to ask what to drop, only to sigh with relief when he didn't. There was some progress being made here, "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for my vain brother." Arc sighed, looking around, "...Is he not in here?"

"Nope," Kuro sighed, "After our date, ugh I'm not use to that word, he dropped me off in here and left."

"He just left you here afterwards?" Arc sighed, shaking his head, "You think that with all these years he's wasted on the attention of random women, he's learned how to properly treat one."

"Someone sounds like he's about to go Mario on his bro!" Kuro grinned.

Arc, as expected at this point, gave her a confused look.

"You know, Mario?"

"..."

"And his green mushroom? The one up?" Kuro went on, her hands going into a sort of crazy spaz as she tried to explain, "So, in the game, you can get the green mushroom and you get an extra life and-you know what, fuck it, joke's dead."

"...Alright." Was all Arc murmured, looking around the room once more, before sighing, "That Crow, he knew that Cresil wanted to show us the progress. But, then again, he doesn't like Cresil much…"

"Wait, who?" Kuro asked. If this guy wasn't liked by Corvus, she couldn't help but think of what would happen if she just became friends with him by chance.

"Cresil Aguliance Invidia." Arc sighed, "He runs a lot of the medical and scientific branches here. He's the reason that we've been able to take care of clean up, not to mention he's Legion's second in command."

"Wow, dude has got a lot of power," Kuro said, her curiosity slowly but surely rising. She really wanted to know what this guy was doing and how he did it, "...Would he be against me swapping in for Corvus?"

While Arc thought it over, Kuro almost seeing the gears grinding. If she knew anything, it was the fact that those two hated each other. So, with that said, there was a very big chance that he'd say-

"I don't see the issue." Arc said, a sort of shadow of a smile on his face. No, it was more like the shadow of a shadow. The way it looked on his face and the way his glasses seemed to gleam, it looked really creepy.

"Yes!" Kuro grinned, trying to ignore that look, before grabbing a set of casual clothes. Nothing like not having to worry about Corvus making comments about how a woman could only look fancy to be professional.

Quickly going for the bathroom, she changed into the casual black tank top, shorts and her red hoodie, before jumping out, "Alright, let's science!"

She waited for him to say something about her attire, how plain and bland she looked, or maybe ask where the dress is, only for his eyes to fix on her shoulder, "I take it your jacket still serves you well?"

"All thanks to you, Spiderman." Kuro grinned, a bit too happy to hear, before walking out of the room, "Alright, come on, I don't know how to get there, so I gotta follow you."

Arc nodded, clearing his throat for a moment, before walking out, allowing Kuro to close the door, before going forth to lead the way.

* * *

Kuro followed Arc down a whole set of hallways and stairs. Even when she tried to make mental maps, everything just looked so similar.

They had small conversation here and there, no, it was more like Kuro would say something and he'd nod, grunt, or just seemingly ignore her completely.

It wasn't all bad, it gave her more of a chance to talk.

"And that's when I learned how to outdo a drunk and high homeless Rifter." Kuro grinned, chuckling to herself from the story, "Believe me, it was so much harder then I let on."

Instead of the usual grunt of acknowledgement, Arc instead stopped, "Here we are."

Looking around, it was only then that Kuro noticed the fancy walls of the castle had morphed into a sort of darker less-intricate wall of what looked to be concrete. The floor was a bit damp, some water running down the sides.

"I take it that these are the five-star suites?" Kuro asked, as Arc knocked on a large wooden door.

There was a faint, "Coming!" From the other side of the door, before multiple locks and other metal objects clicked, the door slowly but surely being pushed opened, "Sorry, I keep forgetting to get some sort of oil to keep from this door getting stuck again."

Looking the new guy over, he looked a bit...Out of place. The way that he stood in his fancy and clean white lab coat, black dress pants, and a grey sweater-like undershirt screamed "Professional", but his stance was...Off.

He stood in a sort of lazy and laid-back fashion, no straight back and puffed out chest of a usual rich Noble would.

His hair was in a sort of fancy yet casual set as well, a sort of dark blue tidy mop of hair that covered the entire left side of his face. His right eye was a similar color to her own, which also struck out as odd.

"Ah, I don't believe we've met formally," He said, holding his hand out, "My name is Cresil." Before she could answer, he was already shaking her hand, "Don't worry, out of everyone in this castle, you really don't need an introduction, Princess Lilim Akuhei."

"Just Kuro is okay." Kuro insisted, a bit more then fed up with all this royal shit.

It was getting to her, ever so slowly.

Cresil and Arc shared a look, and at this point, it was as if she could read minds.

While it wasn't perfect, she read their faces, trying to think of what they could be trying to convey:

Cresil: Is this chick for real?

Arc: Just go with it.

Cresil: For real, man? I better not get fired for this.

Arc: You won't, just shut up and agree with it.

Cresil: You think she can read anything we're communicating to each other?

Arc: I doubt that.

Cresil: Then why is she just staring at us?

To that much literal thought, Kuro chuckled awkwardly, before looking around the now opened lab.

It looked like a mix of a medical office and a stereotypical Frankenstein lab. Desks of papers littered the room, the walls lined with old looking books, the whole room only lit by a few random bowls of what Kuro assumed to be oil, since all those flames hung by chains holding the bowls to the ceiling.

But, in the far back right corner, there was a birdcage that took up quite a bit of space, looking just big enough to hold a human or three, depending on how you shoved them in. But it wasn't the fact that it was big or covered with a large white sheet that got her attention.

It was shaking.

Something inside was making it move around.

"So, you wanted to go over the plans of the new extended guard towers." Kuro could hear Arc say, as she subconsciously got closer to the cage. She knew it wasn't a draft, partly since there was no type of window down here.

"Ah, yes of course." Cresil said, the two walking to a table from out the corner of her eye, "So, here are the new plans, and those are the blueprints…"

As she got closer, there was a sort of...sound? No, it was like a whole sort of...feel to the cage. Something that felt odd, like it really didn't belong here.

"This will have to be done either during or after the meeting of the seven sins."

"If that is the case, we'll need more manpower on this project. I'm thinking that we use those human slaves for more than just food."

She wasn't really listening in, rather just hearing some words and putting them together with other words that made the most sense. Either way, she was pretty sure that she was right.

"So, where is your brother?"

"He wasn't able to make it today, but thankfully, Kuro here was able to fill in for his position…"

But, right before she could get within a foot, a hand came down on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Ms, but I can't have a lady wandering around my little workshop here. Lots of gross rusted blades and a ton of more poisonous vials down here."

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that." Kuro grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head, "Also, Just Kuro is good. No Lilim, no Ms., just Kuro." She murmured, before following him back to the table.

Still, she didn't like how that cage looked or felt.

"Since you are Corvus' stand in," Cresil said, gesturing to the blueprints, "What do you think about the latest design for the guard towers?"

Kuro looked over the design. It looked very evil medieval and tall, with a bunch of creepy spikes and a nest at the top of the tower.

On another set, it showed how the building would be made and what it would be made of, a rather durable yet cheap and thin looking steal, "What is it made out of?"

"It's reinforced shards," Cresil said proudly, "Hard to come by, which is why it'll have to be spread thin. But, being how it is the only material that can kill demons, it will do nicely."

"And most of these guard towers will be made 100% of this material?" Kuro asked in slight wonder.

"Well, more or less." Cresil admitted, "While it is ideal, we can't possibly get enough material for the entire building. The weapons and exterior will be shards, while the rest with either be made of or reinforced with obsidian."

"So, in theory, the building is basically unbreakable?" Kuro murmured, before giving Cresil a smug look, "But what about the doors?"  
Cresil returned the look, jeez this guy looked more out of place with each passing moment, "The only way up and into the guard box is to get into the bottom of the base here," Cresil said, pointing to what looked to be a sort of hidden doorway, "Through the door, and up the stairs that'll be guarded. Then, once you get to the top, there's an iron gate to keep the guard box from the stairs."

"I guess it's not bad." Kuro murmured, taking mental notes in the back of her mind. She wondered how much Vale would give her for this information.

"Well, knowing that Corvus would have been harder to coax, it's good to know that you're not nearly as stubborn." Cresil said in good natured manner. While he didn't do it, the look in his eyes made it seem as if he would have slapped her in the shoulder, "But hey, if I can coax the spouse, surely the Prince won't be that difficult, right?"

Kuro laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, sure, haha."

Arc could probably feel her discomfort, before clearing his throat, "Technically, they are not entirely bonded, not just yet."

"Oh?" Cresil murmured, confused.

"By royal law, as it is called for whatever reason," Arc stated, each passing moment sounding more and more like some sort of old-aged encyclopedia, "The pairing isn't solidified until the ceremony takes place."

"And this matters...why?" Cresil asked, not seeming to catch on to whatever Arc was saying. Honestly, Kuro wasn't either, but that might be for the fact that one part of her head was listening for any information to keep while the other was still wondering exactly what this ceremony was entitling, "You know what, that'll be a conversation for another day, yes?"

"Indeed." Arc agreed, fixing his glasses.

Cresil then turned to give Kuro a bright smile, "So, Ms. Kuro, how have you enjoyed your stay so far?"

To this, Kuro sighed, there was no way that he'd just drop it, and this was probably as close as he was gonna get, "Well, it's okay, I guess. It's a big jump from the Rift."

"Oh, I'm sure of it." Cresil nodded, about to go on, before a bell went off. Following Cresil's gaze, there was a small portion of the wall, hidden within the shelves, a small area of the wall had bells attached to wires that went into the wall, at least five of them.

Sighing, Cresil walked over to it, the middle bell ringing, "I do apologize, but it would seem as if I'm needed back in the throne room for a little bit. I'll be right back."

With that, Cresil slipped back through the thick door, slamming it shut behind him.

It was then that Kuro really noticed and took in how the awkward silence was slowly getting to her.

She took a quick over the shoulder glance to Arc, who was wandering around in the other side of the room, engrossed in the papers that littered the desk.

Kuro was left to just looking around, searching for something that could hold her mindset for a little more the two seconds. But, by the first minute, she swore that she'd seen everything there was to see in the room.

If she wanted, she could have drawn a detailed map of the place, from sight alone of course.

It surprised her when it was Arc to clear his throat, "So…How has your day been thus far?"

For a moment, Kuro stared at him, stunned. This was one of the first times that she could count at the moment where he was going out of his way to start a conversation, "Well, being how this isn't a bad way to spend the rest of the night, I'd say it could be worse."

"Ah, so I take it your date wasn't as exactly a, as girls say, dream come true?"

"Well, being how I don't usually dream about dates, no, I guess not." Kuro said, shrugging it off. It really was just a waste of time. Friends were good, but a significant other would do little more than weigh you down.

But hey, she's never been in love, cut her some slack, "Have you ever been on a date, Arc?"

"Never had the time or the desire to do so. "Arc said with a scoff, "And while our 'date' is simply made from a mutual deal between friends, it is hard for me to think of anyone in a romantic manner."

Something about the way he said that was a bit off, but Kuro shrugged, she probably didn't sound too different. Before she could go on, the door opened once again, reveal Cresil who wore a grin, "Great news."

"Since the meeting will be taking place tomorrow, I'll be able to start construction quicker then normally anticipated. Of course, this'll require me to scout the grounds, but still, it's great to see a plan fall into place!"

Arc wore something that looked like a nonchalant line with the tiniest curve at the end, "I'm sure the rest will go along just as well."

"Mmm, I do hope so indeed." Cresil murmured, before turning his attention and smile to Kuro. There it was again, something about the expression looked so familiar but it didn't match the setting, "So, I hear that you're different from all the other princesses?"

The way he spoke, it was as if he was trying to look down on her and shame her if she felt higher and different then all else.

It was a sort of word game that all demons liked to play to get the answer they wanted to hear. While you heard them say something like that sounded fancy and upholding, what they really meant was:

 _"What makes you so special? You're no different from every other stuck up snob."_

Kuro couldn't help but scoff, what was this, a Disney movie?

No, she couldn't think that, even in this rich life, she didn't want to deal with a sue case.

"Well, if you consider the first Rift princess to be 'different', then I'll have to agree with you." Kuro shot back casually.

 _"We don't raise stuck up snobs in the Rift."_

"The Rift, you say?" Cresil murmured, a small grin on his face, "Well, that certainly is an interesting revelation. Do tell, what type of culture do you have in the Rift?"

 _"A Tempter as a princess? Prove it."_

Kuro scoffed, gesturing to her outfit, "You're telling me that normal princesses wear this crap?"

 _"Are you blind, you idiot?"_

Cresil laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, it was silly of me to assume, I apologize."

"No harm taken." Kuro answered, cringing inwardly. She was sounding more and more like them by the second.

To this, Cresil laughed again, looking a bit too loose for her liking. You always have to be weary of the seemingly lazy ones, if Undertale has taught her anything, "I have to admit, I've got to tip my hat to you."

"...Huh?"

"You know what I'm saying here." Cresil grinned, "So, tell me, were you at the top of the pickings back in the Rift?"

"Nah, probably on the other side of that spectrum, if you get my drift." Kuro laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. It felt a bit odd to be receiving any sort of praise, especially from someone she had just met.

"I'm sure that there must be something spectacular about someone such as yourself." Cresil insisted, "To have a sort of rags-to-riches story, that's what everyone these days want, is it not?"

"Most people, I'd assume so." Kuro shrugged.

"Well, either way, I'm sure that this has been a big change for you." Cresil said, casually leaning back on the table behind him, "In which case, I am usually down here."

"Thanks a bunch, my dude." Kuro said, laughing lightly.

Arc then chose that moment to clear his throat, "If there is nothing else to go over, Cresil, we will be taking our leave now."

"Oh?" Cresil said, sounding genuinely confused, "Normally you stay for half an hour more."

"I'm afraid I can't do that tonight." Arc said, sounding a bit more monotone than usual. It was weird, even for the usually emotionless prince, "As you know, the meeting is tomorrow."

"Alas, you're right." Cresil murmured, only to clap, "Oh well, at least that means I can start construction right away!"

"Indeed."

"Well, be off then." Cresil sighed, opening up the door for the two, "As for you, young lady, I do hope that you enjoy yourself. Feel free to come down whenever you please."

"Thanks." Kuro said simply, following Arc out. She shot the demon a last wave, before the door closed behind the two.

"Well, he was a treat to meet." Kuro grinned, nudging Arc in a arm with a stupid grin, "How you two are friends I'll never understand."

"As of late, he has been the only one that is different." Arc sighed, leading Kuro back up to her room, "He just recently joined us, and due to his surprisingly high IQ and different point of view, he's not only a valuable asset, but also someone who has a lot of interesting insight."

"So…In short, he's just fun to listen to?"

"...I guess so, yes."

Kuro did something between a sigh, a groan, and a laugh, "You always sound so proper, do you read a thesaurus before we hang out?"

"I do use the library, it was built for a reason." Arc pointed out.

"...You, my friend, are a work in progress."

* * *

"Young Prince?"

It took a lot for Corvus not to groan, he had to uphold his reputation of being a gentleman, even if it was just the help, "How can I help you?"

"Umm, well, you see." the tiny demon girl murmured, twirling her hair.

Corvus didn't understand why Kuro didn't just file for a new maid, he wasn't sure how to stuttering didn't annoy her, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that one. Do you mind repeating that statement for me?"

With an embarrassed blushed, the servant girl cleared her throat, "The king has cemented tomorrow as t-the day for the meeting of the seven deadly sins to take place."

"It's always a pleasure when they come over." Corvus murmured, with just enough charisma for the little demon not to catch on to the sarcasm dripping from his mouth, "Very well. I will be sure to be properly ready for the meeting."

The girl bowed politely, thought the Crow was sure that it was to hide the red painting her face, before dashing off.

With a sigh, Corvus rose from his chair, looking out into the dim "night" sky. While that blood red sun never really set, this time was still easily picked out for the calm and relaxed period of time where demons could get sleep, if they wished.

Climbing up the stairs to his room, he wondered if there would be a time where he could share this moment with her.

As irritating and stubbornly, ugh, peasant-like she could be at times, she wasn't bad company when the two weren't butting heads.

Shaking the thought away, he opened the door to the bedroom, soft snores of his Kitten filling the air. There was time to think like that later, he still had a black heart to steal.

* * *

Marax sighed, leaning forward on his axe.

It had been a long day of…standing. At moments like this, he couldn't help but let his mind wander, just a bit.

He wondered what Vale was doing right now. He was sure that he was doing fine, Vale had always been someone who was able to make the best out of the worse situation. Even when they were younger, Vale was the one who did most of the problem solving.

Of course, his train of thought went from Vale to Lezabel. He couldn't help but wonder how she was doing, on the surface. Surely, she was okay, right? The surface was a lot safer for a demon like her-

"Hey, Mar-Mar!"

"At the nickname, Marax couldn't help but sigh, "Princess Kuro, what a pleasant surprise."

"…Well, if you're going to keep that up, Mar-Mar isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

"I don't suppose that you're here to just waste time?"

From there, Kuro moved to pull something out of her pocket, holding it off to the side, "Of course, I mean, I have no other reason to be out here."

Her voice and tone had a whole different meaning from what her eyes were conveying. Marax almost did a double take, she looked so similar to Vale.

She quickly pushed the paper into his gloved hands, before shooting him a grin, "Well, I now have to go off and do royal shit. Catch ya later, Mar-Mar!"

And with that, she skipped off, back into the castle as if their interaction had never happened.

Marax sighed, putting the letter away for safe keeping. Good thing he was planning to head down to the Rift soon.

* * *

 **I'm kinda tempted to do a sort of crack chapter. But, if I do, it'll most likely make an appearence at the end of this story.**

 **I'm reaching that issue where I know where I want this story to go, but I'm not exactly sure how to get there. For anyone who plays Undertale, since a nerd only knows how to communicate through nerdy things, this story is like the multiverse.**

 **I can think of so many different ways to wrap this story up. If I wanted to, I could end it all now and just kill everyone. But with that said, I'm trying to avoid what happened with Atrium, which I might try my hand at again one day, and figure out the most reasonable story that has my own creative messed-up mind, a decent and enjoyable story, and no GOD DAMN MARY SUE BECAUSE APPARENTLY-**

 **You know what, fuck it, that's a rant for another day.**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoyed, and I look forward to your reviews!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	18. His Fair Lady, The Nihilist

**Hi hi!**

 **So, I just finished editing this chapter to make it shorter. I feel kinda bad, these chapters are just long walls of text.**

 **I mean, I hope that you guys really do enjoy this story, and I'd love any sort of comments, but I feel like my pacing is either a bit off, or maybe I'm just constantly a bit too harsh on my own writing.**

 **Either way, just know that a lot of thought goes into these chapters. Like, I do more work for this than I do for homework. It probably shouldn't be like that, but I'm not about to take no shit from nobody.**

 **Anyway...With that said...**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

"I still don't understand why I have to go."

For what seemed to be the millionth time, Kuro could hear Corvus sigh from behind the door, as she continued to look over the picked-out dress with utter distaste, "It's a formality to go through with. It's tradition for the prince of that year to bring his soon to be to social gatherings and meetings."

"You know what isn't tradition?" Kuro snickered, giving one more chocked gag before finally slipping the dreaded thing on, "Dating a Rifter."

She took the silence from behind the door as her success, before adjusting the collar of the dress. She made a face, but hey, it could have been worse. He seemed to like to stick to handing her long flowing gowns, most of which she'd never bother to walk the streets of the Rift with.

It was just low enough to brush against the ground, which would make it a pain if she had to break into a sprint. If the last meeting taught her anything, it was to expect the unexpected.

The color was too bright for her, it was borderline eye-rape pink, the color slowly making its way into a dark purple the further down you went.

Right before she walked out, she kept her eye on the door, before taking a piece of paper and pen she'd stashed there to doodle while she did her business. Quickly writing down some important information, she shoved it into her boot for safe keeping.

Pushing the door open, she gave Corvus a look, "Still can't find anything casual?" She murmured, trying not to make it obvious that she'd shoved paper into her leather boots.

"That's as 'casual' as you'll be getting for now." Corvus murmured, looking her over, "...Where is the crystal belt?"

"Why would I wear this?" Kuro grumbled, tossing him said belt with distaste. The only positive of having something like that would be to possibly blind someone, "Maybe it's because nothing about a crystal belt says casual?"

"I assumed you'd want those over the gold belt." Corvus said, looking confused as he pulled on a very expensive looking black coat.

"...No belt. Period." Kuro grumbled, half tempted to go over to the window and throw it out, but with how heavy it was, it could probably kill someone.

Tossing it to the side, she walked over to her dresser, grabbing her boots that sat at the foot of it, and was about to put them on when Corvus cleared his throat, "What do you want?"

"Maybe these would be a bit more proper for the setting of the meeting?" Corvus suggested. Turning around, Kuro eyed the high heels he held in his hands. While they did look nice, seeming to be carved from a sort of red and black glass, she shook her head, "I don't wear heels."

"There's a first time for everything, Kitten."

"No, you don't get it, I don't know how to walk in heels."

"Is it not an innate behavior?"

"...Okay, I'm going to ignore how sexist that comment is if you'd be willing to drop the heels."

Kuro sighed with relief when Corvus finally put them back who knew where, before looking around, fiddling with her fingers, "So…What is all of this for?"

"The heels and dress are merely a sigh of nobility and status."

"What? No, not the stupid dress." Kuro muttered, "I'm talking about this whole meeting thing. I mean, I didn't grow up under a rock, but why bother with a meeting? And heck, why are you invited?"

"You ask so many questions, you know that?" Corvus grumbled, fixing his tie as he tried to dodge the question.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Kuro shrugged, tempted to kick his shins, "But it'll kill you first if you don't answer the question."

"I'll explain of the way," He sighed, looking out at the slowly but surely brightening sky, "We're most likely gonna be late."

Corvus held the door open for her, making sure to close it behind her, before walking on, Kuro giving him that demanding stare all girls give guys, "It's an important gathering for the seven of them, so that we may speak of how our...advancements have been going. It is a rare sight to see them all together outside the castle walls, so other then it being a yearly formality, it is also an honor to be in their presence."

"Why?"

"Believe it or not, you Rifters give the nobility a lot of grief." Corvus muttered, fixing his hair as he walked on, "There have been many nobility assassinations, and while some are linked to others within the high ranks, some of them have no leads."

"Then why would you tie it to the Rifters?" Kuro asked. Well, it was not hard to think that if a noble didn't do it, it was probably the work of a Rifter, but still, she'd assume them to be too proud to even mention such common people, as they referred to.

"Other than there being no one else?" Corvus murmured, laughing humorlessly, "It's because we have no other leads."

"So, lemme get this straight." Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "You're willing to take a quick route that could be wrong over actually trying to find the persons behind it?"

"That's how the nobility works here." Corvus said, sounding just as, if not more, irritated about the circumstances, "Legion has a way of running things, anything for the public lighting. He's smart, but also very manipulative of the system."

"Well, with what you've told me, I'm sure that there is nothing against the idea." Kuro murmured, looking about the lavish castle.

She wasn't an idiot, it wasn't hard to cheat the system, especially when you aren't important enough to be monitored and watched, but to think that it could get you all of this or more.

In all honesty, she liked to think that she had done what she had done for fun. Sure, it started off as a sort of job she was tricked into getting, but after a while, it became enjoyable.

"Do what you love as your job, and you'll never work a day in your life."

...Er, it was something along those lines.

She was snapped from her ever-growing thoughts when Corvus stopped before her, standing before the familiar grand door, "Do I have to go back in there?"

"I promise that there will be no knives thrown at you this time." Corvus said, about to push open the doors, only to pause, "Well...I promise that none will come in contact with yourself."

"Well, at least you're being honest with me." Kuro muttered, the air growing warmer as he pushed the doors open.

* * *

Besides all the empty spots around the room, nothing had really changed from the last time Kuro had walked in.

She assumed that the grand throne at the front of the table was for the King, but once again for some reason, it was Legion's smoky outline that sat there instead. Arc sat off to the left, glaring right across at Corvus as the Crow sat down, Kuro sitting to the vacant seat next to him.

She slapped his hand away when he tried to hold it, nearly hissing.

Once the tension eased up a bit, Legion sighed, _"Now that we've all arrived, I call this meeting to order. Let this be quick, get to the point, Mammon."_

Kuro looked over to the one that seemed to have just started laughing for no real reason. The demon wore his hair spiked up, the gold with strands of silver just like his eyes. He wore a tailor-made gold coat with dark orange trimmings today, and black dress pants. If the rest of his clothing didn't make it obvious what he represented, there was a thick gold chain hanging around his neck.

The fox sin grinned like, well, a fox, before pointing over to Corvus, "I don't know about everyone else, but Corvus has been improving-."

"Stop with the lying, you stupid fool." Another voice muttered angrily.

The one opposing the sin of Greed had long dark green hair, ice blue eyes glaring the fox sin down. He wore a long sleeve fancy red coat over a black tank top and shorts. The bottom of the coat spread out almost like magic, making way for those knee-high boots.

From what she understood about these seven, er, six excluding Legion (whom she still didn't know why he was there).

"Like you haven't done something like that before, Leviathan." Mammon grinned, seeming untouched by the irritation flowing off of the sin of Envy.

"How much did you bribe them with this time?" Leviathan scowled, not bothering to sit back down.

Mammon laughed, shrugging his shoulders, "Let's just say that I can't count that high." Kuro really couldn't help it, she liked this guy.

To this, Leviathan scowled, "You stupid fool, easily bought." Kuro really couldn't help it, she hated this guy.

"Can we move on to the real issue here?" Another voice asked.

Kuro turned to someone a bit farther down the table. He wore a plain white coat lined with gold, which reached all the way down to the floor. Underneath was a red vest and long dress pants. He had piercing pink eyes, as well as short and messy orange hair, "Corvus, so far, you've yet to prove that you could be a worthy king."

Something told her that this meeting wasn't supposed to go like this.

Kuro could have sworn that this would be about something to do with the issue of the Rift. She was kinda looking forward to seeing what the rich people had to say, but it looked like it was pointing to a rather rich prince instead.

"Tell me about it, Beelzebub." Leviathan scowled, giving Mammon one last look, to which the sin of Greed just grinned and smooched the air, "No wonder the king won't show up, I wouldn't either if I had a son like that."

"Why is the king not here, Legion?" Beelzebub asked, giving the right-hand man to Satan a rather hard look. It was something you wouldn't expect from the sin of Gluttony.

 _"He has...a lot of messes to clean up."_ Legion said, as if trying to find a good way to break the news.

"I bet you that it's because of that stupid date stunt he pulled yesterday." Leviathan scowled, finally throwing himself back into his chair, "Damned fool."

"Now then, we don't have to worry about that too much." Someone else spoke up. This one had long wavy russet hair that looked as if it was preened to perfection daily, as well as dark yellow, almost golden, eyes. He wore a thin black tank top and shorts, his leather jacket hanging over his shoulders.

The part that stuck out the most were the heeled leather boots the sin wore, both feet put up onto the table as he reclined in the chair, "It was a social showing of emotion, I say that it doesn't count."

"Shut up, Asmodeus." Leviathan scowled, "If it was you in charge, we'd have a lot more sex clubs and extreme PDA. It's a good thing that incubi and succubi faction was cut down during the clash."

"Do NOT bring such a thing into this conversation." Asmodeus glowered, his easy-going facade melting into a bomb of rage that could go off at any given moment.

"Calm down man, let's be real here." Mammon said, looking like he was trying to ease the tension, "Your faction is known for fucking like rabbits."

 _"Back to the problem at hand,"_ Legion sighed, rubbing his forehead, _"Sathanus, what do you have to report on our prince?"_

For the longest time, Kuro thought the armor at one of the seats was just for show. So, of course, when the helmet came off, Kuro stared for a bit longer then socially acceptable.

The sin of Wrath had hard-to-read merlot-red eyes, his hair black and glossy, kinda like a sort of Dracula-hair style.

The armor he wore looked as if it had been carved out of black obsidian, the chest plate holding many dents and scars from a millennium of battle.

"...He shows no interest in the militia." He finally said, voice so deep that Kuro swore she could feel vibrations through the ground, "Either way, he is not captain material."

 _"I guess that settles it."_ Legion said, giving Corvus a look. At least, Kuro assumed so, it was hard to read a thing trapped in smoke, _"Prince Corvus, you will be hereby exiled from this castle and stripped of your title."_

It took Kuro a moment to process it, before she shook her head, "Wait, the fuck you just say?"

"Stay out of this." She heard Corvus murmur under his breath, "You'll make it worse."

"What the fuck are you talking about, exiled and stripped of his title?" Kuro went on, ignoring the Crow.

"Exactly what it sounds like, you Tempter scum." Leviathan spat, "He'll be no better than you."

"Wait, legit?" Kuro went on, before looking to Legion, "That can happen?"

"Who invited a Tempter?" She heard Leviathan growl, slowly standing up, "Be silent unless spoken to, fool."

"Okay, first off, no one asked you, Excalibur." Kuro sneered, "We didn't like you in Soul Eater, so we won't like you in Black butler."

"...What?"

"Don't question it, I can only make so many self-aware fourth-wall-breaking jokes." Kuro said, before giving Legion a pointed look, "But, since I've been spoken to, I take this as a reason to ask you; what right do you have to take away a title of a prince?"

Legion seemed to glare at her, a bit of anger in his usual calm facade, " _As I'm sure you're aware, I am the king's right-hand man-."_

"But you're not a king." Kuro finished, smirking, "And, correct me if the dumb commoner is right, but only the king has the power to do anything like that, correct?"

"You watch your tongue." Beelzebub warned, "We hold titles you could never dream of."

"So, in that case, you should know that as well as I do." Kuro said, a smirk on her face as she went on, "It's a bit odd how we decided to have this meeting without our king, isn't it? Especially when all the seven sins would be in the same place, which I'm told doesn't happen a lot."

"You sound like you're implying something." Asmodeus said, leaning forward as he put his chin on his intertwined fingers.

"Well, I'm just saying that it's such a great coincidence, in your favor no less, that the king isn't here to agree with this ruling you all just HAPPENED to agree on." Kuro said, before waving her hand to the side, "But that couldn't be possible, right?

"Surely you're all aware that even such a thought could result in a punishment worse than death? It would be a shame if it were found out that Legion himself managed to get the sins to follow him rather than our king. Hell, have anyone of you read the bible? Actually, don't answer that, you'd probably burn up on contact, but this is sounding pretty familiar."

"...You couldn't possibly be implying treason?" Sathanus scowled.

"That's exactly what I'm implying." Kuro shot right back, grinning as she sat back down, almost daring anyone to say something against her, "But hey, by all means, go ahead and call my bluff. Maybe then we can have the king as our third party."

The table was silent, before Mammon howled with laughter, pounding on the table, "She got us! Oh, my Satan, a fucking common Rifter! That's the one that can see right through you, Legion!"

No one else spoke, besides Leviathan muttering angrily where he sat, before Mammon turned to the only one who had yet to even move, "Hey, Belphegor, isn't she one from your faction!?"

Kuro looked over to the sin Mammon was gesturing to, finally, a familiar face.

He had light blue hair that looked like it slightly defied gravity, curling upward a bit, right before his shoulders.

"Oh my God, It's Aikuro Mikisugi."

He had soulless pitch-black eyes, the sort that looked as if they were trying to hypnotize you into eternal sleep. It was a popular myth that looking him in the eyes for too long could put anyone to sleep.

The bear sin wore a fancy looking brown coat over a white dress shirt, which had been messily tucked into his long khaki pants.

"She looks the part," Belphegor finally said, eyes narrowing as he gave her a look, "But doesn't act it."

"Can we get back to the point at hand?" Leviathan scowled, giving Legion a look.

The two seemed to have come to some sort of agreement, before Legion turned to Arc, _"Have you anything to add to this? You were the original one to bring up this issue."_

When Arc said nothing, Legion sighed, _"With that...Prince Corvus, Prince Arc, you're excused."_

The two rose from their chairs, for the first time since the meeting started, Corvus was returning the glare that Arc had been sending.

Corvus was about to help Kuro out of her chair, before Legion stopped him, _"We'd like a bit more time with her, if you don't mind."_

"With all due respect, I do, in fact, mind." Corvus said, that shit eating smile looking more threatening with each passing second.

"Then maybe you can go and respect our decision and wait outside." Leviathan threw back.

The two shared a look, before Corvus' hand left Kuro's shoulder, "Five minutes." He growled, before leaving, closing the door behind him.

It suddenly went from fairly humid to bone chillingly cold. There was a bit of warmth from where Corvus' hand once was, but even that was slowly fading.

"Now, how do we dispose of a Rifter in less than five minutes?" Leviathan thought allowed.

"As much trouble as she's caused, I cannot allow you to execute one of my followers." Belphegor spoke up, "Especially one this...charismatic."

"Finally, I was wondering when I'd hear that sweet, sweet sarcasm." Kuro grinned, trying to laugh off the tension.

 _"How were you able to grasp such an idea?"_ Legion hissed, red orbs narrowing.

"That answer depends on my question," Kuro smirked, challenging him right back, "Why did you think such a thing would work?"

"...She's smarter than she looks, I can grant her that much." Sathanus mused.

As she looked around, the only ones that looked pissed off were Legion and Leviathan, the other sins either looked emotionless or uncaringly chill.

"...I believe to say that someone like her will be a bit of a…hindrance." Leviathan scowled, giving Belphegor a look, "I don't see why we just remove this filth."

 _"That can come later."_ Legion scowled, giving Kuro a look, _"You're free to leave."_

"Much too kind." Kuro grinned, doing a mock bow, before leaving, "Oh, one last thing."

"What is it now?" Leviathan seethed.

"It doesn't matter what you do. In the end, know that you're all puppets being used." Kuro deadpanned, before smiling, "Aight, later!"

With that, she walked into the clear corridor, mind now cleared. With that out of the way, she had a quick mission to go through with.

"...That dick just up and left without me."

Once she was able to find her way outside to the gates, that is.

* * *

Marax looked around, sighing as he stood outside the castle gates. Just as always, he stood on guard, learning on his weapon.

Nothing ever really changed, but at the same time, the repeated yet boring was better than the unknown and dangerous.

"Hey, Marax."

Speak of the devil, and he'll send someone else, being how he was king.

"Good evening, princess Kuro." He said politely.

"Dude, not you too." Kuro groaned, standing within the walls, leaning in so that it looked like she was trying to slide through the bars.

"...Is there something you want from me?"

"What? No!" Kuro grinned, laughing awkwardly, causing Marax to give her a look.

"...Umm...No?"

"..."

"...Maybe?"

"If there is anything that's similar between you and Vale, it's the fact that you'll only ever talk to me if you need something."

"...Well when you put it that way, you make me feel like shit, but hey believe what you wanna believe." Kuro grumbled, looking around, before leaning a bit closer, "So…I need a favor."

"...I know that I am a guard, but may I say 'I knew it'?"

"Go right ahead."

"I knew it."

"Feel better?"

"Just a bit." Marax murmured, looking around to make sure that no one was around, "What do you need?"

"Do you ever have time to go into the Rift?"

"As of late, we've had to expel a lot of the guards to the Rift, I'm sure I can go with them, but I'll have to leave soon." Marax sighed, rubbing his head.

"Well, if you have the time, I need you to send this to the guys in the bar." Kuro said, passing him a note.

Marax looked it over, before taking it, knowing better then to try and read it over, "Consider it done."

"Great, thanks a bunch Mar-Mar." Kuro grinned, about to walk off, before Marax stopped her.

"I heard about what happened in the meeting with the sins."

"Yeah, I told them, didn't I?" Kuro chuckled.

"I…Do not how to put this without either making it sound like a threat or an insult."

"Don't worry, the Rift can't be better than whatever you have to say."

"...Are you out of your mind!?"

Kuro jumped from the near shout, her mind rattling for a tiny bit, "Jeez, okay."

"Just...Keep in mind that your actions will have consequences." Marax said, trying not to sound like a stereotypical teacher.

"I know, and don't worry, I can take whatever they dish out."

"That's not what I'm trying to get at." Marax sighed, trying to quickly wrap this up, "While friends can be your greatest strength, they can also be the source of your greatest weaknesses. Does that make sense?"

"Don't worry, oh great Grandmaster." Kuro grinned, winking before slipping back into the castle.

With a groan, Marax looked around, before moving to join the wave of guards, "I'll be taking point, three of you go to guard the entrance of the gate."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Marax couldn't help but enjoy the sound of his title. With all the changes going on, he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hear it.

* * *

Shax closed up the bar, sighing lightly. It was getting rough without having Kuro around.

She was the life of the party, in a way. Many demons would come around to hold a chat, and whether she liked it or not, she was pretty likeable compared to the rest of his team.

She was the one that would mean well, deep deep down inside.

Vale worked for himself. He masked it decently well, and he does care for others, but for the most part, he was in it for the money and power.

Zagan, while he didn't do it only for the money, he also didn't think things through. For the longest time after they disbanded from Winter's gang, he had to micro-manage over Zagan's shoulder. He wasn't a complete fool, but Shax was pretty positive that, even if he could, Zagan didn't bother to think.

As he cleaned the counter, he heard footsteps coming down from upstairs, watching his younger brother walk down, rubbing his eyes.

And then there was Abraxas. He watched as his brother shuffled behind him, going through the bar to the back, most likely to look for food. Abraxas was a very different demon back then, both physically and mentally.

Way back when, Abraxas was reliable, but also very...fragile, to put it nicely. Now days, he was strong, but also very fickle these days.

"Hey, big bro?"

"Hmm?" Shax murmured, keeping his eyes on the bar. The damn thing, no matter how much he cleaned it, it would always look too dirty to leave alone.

A bartender's curse, he supposed.

"Have you seen what's been going on outside for a while? Lots of guards all over the place."

"Yes, I've noticed, as has everyone else here." Shax deadpanned.

"No, not that." Abraxas said, getting louder as he came out of the kitchen, a plate piled high with food on it, "Look out the window and see for yourself."

Shax sighed, slowly but surely moving from his post, before pushing down the blinds, just enough to see the outside.

"...There's nothing there, you idiot."

"What? No, you can't see it from here!" Abraxas corrected, taking a seat at a table Shax had just cleaned, digging into the food, "Go upstairs."

Shax said nothing, slowly walking up the stairs, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves as he did so. He passed by the still vacant guest rooms for the team, into the meeting room, and up the trap door.

What he saw from the roof was...different.

It was a more or less straight road that lead to the bar, but while the buildings acted like the walls of mazes, the roof allowed for you to see over said buildings.

Shax wasn't liking what he was seeing.

All over, there were these platforms being rolled and pushed into place, all the while onlookers were pushed back.

"I don't get it." Abraxas said from behind him, a trick that Shax had grown use to over the years, "No one's fighting back."

"They don't seem to be causing any harm." Shax noted, but he knew better then to trust anything that came from the capitol, "Besides, I'm willing to bet that most of them either can't or will not doing anything out of fear."

"I'll never understand them, they're like cattle." Abraxas murmured, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth, before tugging at his hood, "They could be so strong in numbers, but they just follow."

"Which is why we pick up the slack." Shax sighed, before turning to his brother, "Call in the other two, if those are what I think they are, we're going to have quite a bit of trouble on our hands."

Abraxas nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets, before walking off, leaving Shax alone.

The fox demon studied the platforms, the way they were built. It all looked fairly very familiar, but at the same time, it felt too coincidental.

Nonetheless, he thought it all over.

They took Kuro, after that the guards began to show force against the Rifters. Maybe they knew that Kuro was a part of them? No, they made sure to cover their tracks, besides, Vale had said that Marax wasn't really in complete control anymore, so it had to be a shift in power that was causing all of this.

But they slowly began to invade, showing their force of strength, which was most likely to both take care the ones who dared to stand up to them and to make sure that no one else would try to stop them.

So, with that said, they must feel as if they have enough control to begin moving supplies into the Rift.

But still, even by looking over past moves, it was hard to tell what was next.

What was their end game here?

* * *

By the time she'd gotten back to the room, which wasn't easy since she still wasn't used to the huge area, Corvus was sitting on the bed, shirtless.

Kuro groaned, trying her best to look away, "Do you have to just sit there and look all charming?" She groaned, looking for a comfortable pair of PJs'.

"...Darling...I've been meaning to ask…" She heard Corvus say softly.

"Well, go on, it's not like I'm leaving anytime soon." Kuro muttered, making sure he wasn't going to turn around, before quickly changing.

"...Why did you defend me?"

"Besides the fact that I hate being part of a stupid system?" Kuro murmured, sitting down on her side of the bed, "Leviathan was really starting to get on my nerves."

"...Is that your only reason?" Corvus asked.

Kuro rolled over to look at him again, "Well, it was kinda the spur of the moment, but enough about me, are you okay? You look pretty shaken over there."

"I'm fine, I just have a lot of thought to do." Corvus murmured, before finally laying down. Kuro couldn't help but think that his eyes looked a little dead.

She was never one to think before doing, everything with her was just what felt good at the moment.

So, you can be sure that it wasn't planned when she kissed him on the cheek, "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? They're not worth your time."

With that, Kuro rolled over, yawning before quickly knocking out.

She didn't notice that Corvus didn't sleep for the next hour or so, his mind abuzz with all not only all of his problems, but he could swear he was feeling something else, something...foreign.

* * *

 **I can't write these things without someone involving the seven deadly sins, I swear.**

 **I can't help it, it's just so interesting. Lately, someone gave me this idea where the soul colors from Undertale corresponded with both one sin and one virtue, so I don't think I'm giving up my Hail Satan craze anytime soon.**

 **Also, I just wanna clear up, Kuro isn't just suddenly jumping to cover Corvus because she's falling in love or anything. I'm trying to write it so that, in defending him, she's not only defending herself (since they all kept pointing out that she was an issue), but she was also trying to get the point across that Corvus couldn't learn from just books, he needed help.**

 **but, for those of you who want them to have their moment, don't worry, we're getting to that part soon.**

 **I try not to write stories where the two characters just fall in love because it's either a self insert fan fiction or it just doesn't feel right, you know? A relationship is suppose to take and have steps. If it's one of those "love-at-first-sight", it's no better then those two month High school relationships that are good for nothing else then drama, le mad screwing, and more drama.**

 **It's not only like stupid puppy love, but it also just doesn't feel right, you know?**

 **...Great, never mind, now I'm confused.**

 **But with that said, hope you all enjoyed, feel free to drop a review, and I'll cya next time!**

 **Till then, bai** **bai!**


	19. His Fair Lady, A Demonic Seraph

**Hiya!**

 **Yes, I know, I'm not dead yet!**

 **I'd update more, but I'm sure you've all heard and already know what my excuse is.**

 **School.**

 **Just...School.**

 **School is evil.**

 **All I have to say is that I agree with Rick from Rick and Morty when it comes to school.**

 **It's all evil.**

 **But hey, we're here for a different kind of evil.**

 **So, I'll stop wasting your time, enjoy the chapter.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Early the next morning, a knock came to the bar door.

Being how everything was slowly going to shit, the entire team (minus Kuro, of course) was already there. So, to know that someone else was trying to get in…

"Positions." Shax commanded.

Abraxas dropped his plate of food before dropping to his stomach on the floor, pulling out two guns from under the bar chairs before taking aim for the door.

Zagan opened up his jacket, grabbing a rather threatening looking knife from his array before ducking behind the counter, ready to strike if called upon.

Meanwhile, Shax just continued to clean down his bar, looking as nonchalant as usual while Vale approached the door. He looked through the keyhole, before waving them all off, "It's a false alarm."

He then opened the door, letting the large suit of armor in, "Marax," Shax greeted casually, "To what do we owe the honor?"

"A message from your friend within the walls." He said, taking a piece of paper, before handing it to him, "She's making more enemies than friends, but other than that, she is well."

"She was always better at making enemies than...Anything, really." Abraxas grinned, as Vale took the paper.

"Thank you for delivering the message." Shax said formally, watching as Vale walked away with a little less than a nod. Anyone else would chalk that up as plain rude, but knowing that the two went way back, Shax turned the blind eye.

"Not that it'll matter, we all know that her handwriting is far from anything eligible." Vale murmured, unfolding the paper, before looking it over, eyes narrowing.

"I'll take my leave before I draw too many eyes." Marax murmured, giving Shax a brief nod, before leaving the doorway, closing the door behind him.

"I feel bad for the guy, he's basically our exclusive mailman in armor." Abraxas sighed, finally getting off of the ground, kissing both guns before putting them away, "I mean, we don't have to worry about our mail being stolen or shit, but still."

"We have other things to be worrying about." Vale murmured. Shax walked over to the table, seeing what had been written. After he got over the surprise that her writing was, for once, readable, he cursed, "Well, at least she understands that's important."

"Yeah, you're right, Marax would probably have trouble wielding both his axe and the mail." Abraxas said, for some reason still continuing that stupid thought, "Oh, I wonder if he can kill someone with a piece of paper."

"Maybe you should see what's on the piece of paper before you ask if it can kill." Vale scowled, looking like he was about to flip a table, "So that's what the guards were rolling in."

"I don't see how-Oh." Abraxas said, awkwardly chuckling, as Zagan picked up the paper, looking as if he either couldn't read it or he didn't understand it, which was understandable to a point, "So…Big bro, what's the plan? Do we have enough to form a plan?"

"Thankfully, Kuro gave all we need." Shax murmured.

"For once." Vale added, before turning to Shax, "What's the plan?"

Shax thought it over. The towers were lined with shards, but it wasn't made entirely up of the material. That would mean it could take most hits, but, if memory served correctly…

"Zagan, do we still have the tickers?"

"They should still be up there, yeah." Zagan said, before his eyes widened, "No way, are we finally gonna use them?"

"Being that it looks to be the only way to take them down, yes, we'll use them." Shax insisted, before flipping the paper over, "Vale, I'll need a map of the locations of all of the towers. We need to get rid of as many as we can in one swoop."

"Consider it done." Vale murmured, before rushing off to the roof.

"Abraxas, go with Zagan to make sure the tickers are ready to go by the time we depart, I don't want a repeat of Purgatory."

"Copy that boss." Abraxas said, rushing to the second floor.

With that said, Shax walked through his kitchen into the safe room, selecting a worn book from the Ignis section, before propping it open.

It didn't hurt to study before the test.

* * *

Kuro woke up alone in the room.

Not that she minded, of course. She stretched to take over the entire bed, finding it still rather warm where Corvus had been that night, which was nice.

She wondered if she could just disappear into the bed. How nice it would feel to just merge in and never have to care from there.

Not that dreams would be a problem, it was usually the same thing that would play over and over again. She'd heard of it being a recurring dream for most humans, that feeling of falling and waking up right before you hit the ground. But Kuro never got to that part. She'd yet to hit the ground, or anything, it was just an eternal free fall.

She nearly jumped off the bed when Corvus walked back in, slamming the door shut behind him, "Well, good morning to you too."

For the first time, all she got in response was a grunt, before he threw open his closet doors, "I'll be sending Vanth in shortly." Was all he said, grabbing a coat from the closet before dashing back for the door, "Meet me by the gates in an hour."

And with that, he was gone.

Kuro gave the spot that he'd just been an odd look, nothing but confused. As she slowly got off of the bed, she stretched, wondering what he was talking about and why he sounded so irritated.

There really was a number of things that could result in something like this. Maybe he'd had a run in with Arc, his brother always seemed to know exactly how to tick the Crow off. Or maybe it was Cresil, who honestly creeped Kuro out to a point.

He was just a bit too...out of place. It was like trying to hide a rainbow in a glass house. Try all you want, it really wasn't going to work out.

Before Kuro could question herself more, another knock came to the door, "Lady Kuro?"

"Present." Kuro murmured, watching the timid demon walk in, what looked to be fancy dresses draped over both arms, "And I swear kid, we always have the same damn talk about this."

"I c-can't help it, it's a force of h-habit." Vanth sighed, making sure the door was closed, before laying the dresses down on the bed, "Is just l-lady Kuro okay?"

"At this point, it's better than 'princess', or 'empress', or something else these hellions think of something else." Kuro said, yawning and stretching as Vanth walked over to pull the heavy curtains back, letting the harsh sunlight in, "Damn, warn me before you do that!"

"S-sorry!" Was all the timid maid could say, before throwing open her closet doors as well, "B-but, with that said, t-the prince is expecting you to m-meet with him in less t-than an hour."

"I didn't get a chance to ask him," Kuro murmured, before going to the bathroom for a quick moment, "What is all of this for?"

"He didn't t-tell you?" She could hear Vanth from the bathroom, her voice slowly getting softer, not that Kuro could get irritated with it, "Well, he d-did look a b-bit irritated...He w-was called to inspect the new g-guard towers."

"Damn, they're up already?" Kuro murmured, before finally exiting the bathroom, feeling a bit better now that she'd been thoroughly and properly woken up, "I thought that they'd take at least a week or two."

"E-either way, he's being sent to inspect, a-and you'll b-be going with him."

Kuro withheld the urge to ask why she had to go along, but at the same time, there wasn't much she wouldn't give to just be in the Rift again for a bit, even if it was with the bird brain. "I guess...By the way, what is all of this?"

She inspected the dresses, "They're your new dresses. Corvus h-had them ordered in a-a while ago."

"Huh, they're not as revealing as I thought they'd turn out." Kuro murmured, looking them over. They really did look nice, and unlike the others currently in her closet, she liked these. They didn't feel too fancy, like something that looked better in her closet than on her.

But, at the same time, she still wasn't a dress person. But, she had to admit, she liked the dresses on the bed more than the ones in her closet.

"I think I'll go with...This one." Kuro murmured, picking it up before holding it against her body. It was a nice honey brown color, just coming up to her knees. So, it was simple, not too hard to move in, and a rather nice color.

Why couldn't they all just be like this?

Even if Vanth was the maid, Kuro insisted on putting it on by herself. It wasn't too difficult, but even then, she didn't like the idea of someone younger than her dressing her.

She tried to ignore the question of how Corvus got her measurements once she had it on, the material just baggy enough to be comfortable and tight enough to look sophisticated, "He didn't command you to have me wear makeup or anything, right?"

Vanth shook her head, about to say something more, when another knock came to the door.

Kuro walked over, opening the door, glaring at the demon behind it for a split second, "Can I help you?"

The short head maid jumped back a bit, as if she wasn't expecting Kuro to open to door, even if this is exactly how it had happened the last time, "I apologize for bothering you, Princess Lilim, but is Vanth in there?"

"Yes, she is," Kuro murmured, before a smirk came to her face, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you see, I need her to complete a few chores that she seems to have neglected-."

"Oh, I'm so terribly sorry about that," Kuro cut her off, seeing how far she could push this "I'm royal" shit, "But she'll be cleaning my room for the remainder of the day."

She, Kuro believed her name was Sarai or something, leaned to the side to look into the room, "With all due respect, your room looks to be pretty clean-."

"Last I checked, you're not in the position to tell me what to do." Kuro shot back, moving to cover the room, "Besides, I'm sure that the king wouldn't like to hear about his head maid peering into the room of his son."

She wore an expression between irritation and fear, which only made it funnier since she was shorter, "...Of course, please forgive me."

"No prob." Kuro grinned, before leaning back into the room, "You heard that, right Vanth? You STAY IN MY ROOM TILL I GET BACK, clean up a bit, okay?"

"Y-yes Miss!"

"You're dismissed." Kuro said, making sure to close the door behind her, before walking away, Sarai still stuck in her shock, "Oh, one last word for you, Ms. Sarai."

The woman turned around right in time for Kuro to grab her by the collar, hoisting her up. While she was short, she was on the chubbier side, but even then, nothing stopped her from keeping Sarai there, "Threaten her again, in anyway, I dare you."

With that simple threat, Kuro dropped the maid, before walking off down the hall, "So…How do I get to the main gates?"

* * *

The only thing to greet her by the gates was a still-irritated Corvus.

The way he stood reminded her of an angsty teen, leaning on the gates with his arms crossed over his chest. The coat that he wore and the way his hair decided to fall all over his face today didn't help.

"Well, good morning to you." Kuro tried, only to have him walk away once she was close, a silent command for her to follow.

"You were late."

"Sorry, I still don't really know my way around the castle." Kuro said sheepishly, silence her only acknowledgement.

Corvus lead the way through the capitol, Kuro watching his expression the whole time. His usual outwards charisma was a bit diminished, still there, but overshadowed by the pure irritation on his face.

She couldn't help but think that maybe she did this. For all she knew, her standing up for him could have triggered something else, something bad. To that thought, Kuro huffed, nearly mirroring his expression.

It would make sense, the one time she tried to stand up for him, it only serves to get him more irritated.

But, with that thought, she now really wanted, no, needed to know what had been bothering him. There was no worse feeling then only being able to speculate. At least, not for her.

But how to get him to talk?

She couldn't start a small game of Q&A with him, she's done that before, so that left her one other option.

"You ever have that one thing in your life that, as stupid as it might sound, you want it really really badly?" Kuro asked, just loud enough so that she knew that Corvus could hear her, even if he was ignoring her, favoring the idea to walk on.

"There are so many of those things for me, to the point that it's so stupid." Kuro said, laughing at herself, "There's a bunch of small things, for me at least. I know I have a list somewhere, but off the top of my head, the top things for me have got to be the dumbest wastes of time, like putting my handprints in some wet cement, or throwing my drink at some random homeless person. Or maybe I should go ahead and do a backflip into a boiling vat of the blood of my enemies."

"...What was that last one?"

"Nothing, I was just trying to make sure you were paying attention." Kuro grinned, nearly laughing, before looking up at the red sky, trying to ignore the line they'd crossed from capitol to Rift, "But, one thing I really wanna do one day is, and please don't laugh when I say it...I wanna see the stars."

"You've been to the surface before, have you not?" Corvus asked, confused.

"I have, but have you seen the nighttime sky during a war?" Kuro murmured, wishing she had a jacket to shove her pockets in, "All you see is smoke. You're lucky if you're looking up at the sky and you see something shining that isn't a falling bomb that's on fire or an enemy spy plane overhead."

"I know it sounds like one of those stupid hopeless romantic things, like taking a nighttime walk at the beach or something, but it's just something I really want, no matter how stupid it sounds, you know?"

He stayed silent, so Kuro took this as an opportunity to go on, looking over the familiar dark red clay of the houses around them, "I just feel like it would be nice to have a good change for once. I'm so use to my hectic life in the Rift, and now I need to get use to this lap-of-fake-luxury life, which really isn't any less stress. Maybe it's me just fooling myself, I'd love a day to just unwind. And I don't mean just 'lying-around-lazily' unwind, I mean some real meditating-monk-bullshit unwind-."

"Kuro."

"Yeh?"

"You can stop now, we're here."

It was only then that Kuro noticed the large building before her. It stuck out, looking like Corvus in the Rift. Tall, expensive, and could be rather dangerous when needed.

"Well...I could have sworn it looked smaller in the blueprints." Kuro murmured, rubbing the back of her head.

The shards made the guard tower look like it was almost glowing, and made the tower feel like, the moment you try to touch it, it could burn your skin right off. At the very top, the nest area, there were spears that jutted out, angling up to keep away airstrikes, down to keep away those who tried to climb it, and horizontally just to make the whole thing look balanced.

The only differences from the blueprints was what looked to be a sprayed-on emblem of the royal contract, an upside-down star within a circle.

"It looks to be in good shape," Corvus murmured, inspecting it from the outside. Kuro had to agree, it was made to near perfection. She wondered how long it would take for the team to take them down.

Probably a day or two.

Speaking of which, if she really wanted to, she could do a quick sprint to the bar. Judging by her surroundings, she was maybe a few minutes away.

Of course, that was assuming that the bird-of-prey demon didn't catch her first.

Oh well, it didn't hurt to imagine.

Before Corvus opened the door, his hand on the doorknob, he turned to look at her, "Kuro?"

"That's my name."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Kuro said, almost a bit too coy, "I didn't do anything."

Corvus either didn't feel needed or wasn't interested enough to push farther with that, offering her a half-assed scowl, an expression that made him look a bit more normal then the usual shit-eating smile, before opening the door.

* * *

They were ready to leave when a knock came to the door.

"I'm too tired to go back into a battle-ready stance." Abraxas yawned, one hand holding his head up from the desk while the other held a gun, looking like a tired gangster.

The door opened to reveal the most golden punked-out demon teen in the Rift.

She wore her hair like Tracer, her pink hair sticking up with orange tips. Her lower lip alone had three piercings, with two in her right eyebrow and one in her nose. Her eyes were a sickly dark green, the everlasting scowl on her face making her look as if someone had taken away her blunt.

She wore a hot pink tank top and a short black skirt, with high-top shoes that helped with her tiny height.

"Sarlea," Shax greeted, as the teen kicked the door closed, much to Shax's irritation, "You're late."

She said nothing, dragging a dark blue suitcase behind her, before plopping down next to Abraxas.

Meanwhile, Shax sighed, going back to making sure everything was in order. He hadn't been too fond of Dajjal, but at least he'd get something done, with Vale's help.

Sarlea was different. The only reason she was here was because of Dajjal's deal; the only way that he'd remain loyal was if they promised to take Sarlea in if anything were to happen to him, which explained the suitcase she had dragged in.

Looking back on it, Shax real wasn't sure if it was a fair deal, but it was too late for him to back out of it now.

"Is this where I'm going to be crashing for now?" The girl asked, looking around as if it was worse than any dump that she'd ever had to crawl out of. Her voice and tone were high, almost comedically so, but no one cared enough to point it out.

"Yes," Shax said, clearing his throat as he cursed Dajjal for dying, "Your room will be the third to the right."

"Nice." She said, about to go upstairs, only to have Vale clear his throat, "What do you want, loser?"

"You can come up with much worse than that," Vale scowled, before giving her a look, "Did Dajjal leave you anything? A piece of paper, or some sort of note?"

"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't." Sarlea said in an almost bratty tone, before doing a 180 to face all of them, "Look, I know my brother swore an allegiance to you or some shit, but last I checked, I'm only here because of one of my brother's deals. You don't owe me anything, and I don't owe you anything."

And with that said, she walked up the stairs, similarly to a way that a bratty kid would stomp up to their room. Abraxas was the only one to jump when the door was slammed shut.

"...I don't know how Dajjal ever managed to raise that thing." Zagan scowled, opening the door for the rest of the team to exit.

"We'll make well of Dajjal's agreement," Vale insisted, stepping out as he slung a bag over his shoulder, "Of course, she'll be expected to pull her own weight in this; that may be the only problem when it comes to a mutinous teenager."

"Well, either way, is it smart for us to leave her here alone while we, for lack of better word, go out?" Abraxas asked, casually walking out with a sniper strapped to his back, looking around as if it was another normal typical day.

"She won't try anything, I've made sure of it." Shax murmured, walking out with his hands in his jeans pockets, his back pocket holding a pair of gloves, the fingertips coated in what looked to be blood, "I made sure to draw a small rune on her door. She'll be locked in there until we get back and wipe it off."

"Dude, that's messed up and you know it." Abraxas laughed, the four walking down the road as if they were just going out to grab a cup of coffee. No one noticed the grin that came to his face, as he took out a gold coin, a hole going right through the middle.

"As if we are any better." Vale scowled, making sure not to shake the bag too much, "So, where to first?"

"Maybe we start with that one?" Zagan murmured, pointing to the nearest tower.

"Is that really smart?" Vale murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

"Looks simple enough." Shax murmured, seeming to either ignore or not hear what Vale said, before pulling his gloves over his hands, flexing his wrists, "Now then, Vale, what exactly is on the letter that Kuro sent?"

* * *

Kuro walked in when Corvus pushed the door open, looking around. It was surprisingly well lit inside, with a spiral staircase following the wall up to what she assumed was the watch part of the watch tower.

The base of the tower was rather roomy, with racks to hold swords, spears, and a few other weapons that Kuro couldn't name off of the top of her head.

Kuro looked the weapons over, a part of her tempted to reach out to test the blade, shards or not, only to give the area another look.

On the floor, there were black marks all over the ground, looking almost like dirty footsteps, or maybe even scorch marks.

"For such a nice establishment, I'd assume that Cresil would have made a point to keep this place spotless." Corvus murmured, looking around before scowling, "And I thought that there would be a small assemblage here to greet us."

"Well, it was just built," Kuro murmured, walking up the stairs, "I mean, maybe no one got assigned to this place yet."

"...Possibly…" Was all Corvus murmured, before following Kuro up the stairs. Kuro couldn't shake the feeling, something was wrong here.

Once they got to the top, Kuro looked out. The view wasn't bad, maybe she'd just gotten use to the sight that her room provided for her.

Or maybe it was the constant glare bouncing off of the spears perched from the lookout area, "Some help this does." Kuro scowled, trying to ignore the glare from the red sun, "I'm going to go blind, and I'm pretty sure that's impossible for a demon."

Covus either didn't hear or didn't acknowledge her, before he walked over to the other side of the watch room, where a black box stood, "I don't recall Cresil telling me about anything that is supposed to be up here." Corvus murmured, looking it over.

Meanwhile, Kuro went back down the stairs, bored. It looked just big enough to explore the place without feeling too big and castle-like.

Walking around the ground floor, she found a room that looked off to the side, almost as if it were tucked away. Walking in, her nose wrinkled at the smell of manly BO.

It looked like a sort of locker room area, to which she couldn't shake the image of seeing a bunch of guards in there, chilling as they talked about hot succubus, stealing each other's towels and clothes, and just being all around high school jocks.

Walking by a locker, she took note of how huge the lockers were. In the end, she guessed it made sense, where else would they leave the armor?

She ripped open one locker, wondering what she'd find, only to grumble; nothing of importance.

She walked over to the next locker, ripping it open, only to scowl, "What kind of self-respecting demon has a rubber ducky in their fucking locker?" Kuro muttered, before punting the rubber ducky.

She was ready to walk on when the rubber duck bounced off of a metal door, making it ring from the vibrations of the metal.

Even if it was no different, Kuro walked over to said door, opening it up. She was ready to see either nothing or something stupid, not the calling card.

Kuro stared at the item for a moment, before slowly taking it out of the locker to get a better look and make sure that she wasn't seeing shit.

It was a golden coin, but for some reason, there was a hole going right the coin.

She knew what it meant, and she knew they had to get out of there.

She did her best to dash out of the locker rooms, only to jump back when a door gave in, spilling open.

Kuro did all she could to jump over the body of slumped guards that came out of the locker, the smell only increasing from there.

Kuro pushed her way back into the main ground floor-room, before dashing up the stairs, "Corvus? Corvus, we need to leave!"

She was greeted by a confused looking Corvus at the top of the tower, "What is it, Kitten? There's a whole lot more that we'll need to look over before inspection is over."

"We need to leave. We need to leave now!" Kuro shouted, finally realizing what the black around the tower meant, "Shit, come on!"

Kuro ignored the other questions as she pushed/pulled Corvus down the stairs, away from the mystery black box.

The ticker.

She nearly leapt down the stairs, trying to calculate how long it would really take them. Knowing Shax, he'd try to take out as many as he could in one go, but how long would it take for the tickers to be rigged and ready to blow?

Kuro had just enough time to push Corvus out the door, pushing him as far away as possible from the doorway before the ticker went off.

She fell on top of Corvus, covering him best she could, while also ducking her head, her hands just above her head.

The searing pain in her back only increased, but having had experience with tickers before, it could and would have been a lot worse if they were right in the doorway.

When the ringing in her ears finally stopped, Kuro groaned, head still pounding. She could feel Corvus slowly pulling her up but was about as strong as a rag doll at the moment.

Tickers, as Shax and Vale had dubbed them, were one of the only weapons stronger than shards. It was basically a bomb strong enough to go through and sometimes break shard weapons.

Kuro's vision was clear, but her ears were still ringing. It did help when she felt Corvus shaking her, saying something that wasn't really getting processed at the moment.

Her nose still burned from the toxic fumes that the bomb had given off, one that only affected demons, hurray.

She'd either inhaled too much or the dizziness got to her, because before she knew it, everything went dark.

* * *

"Well that was fun." Shax murmured, taking his gloves off.

The other three stood behind him, watching the five brand new towers go up in smoke from a casual rooftop.

"I thought that I'd get to snipe more people." Abraxas grumbled, pouting like a child.

"I still think that it wasn't wise for us to take out the closest towers," Vale murmured, dropping the body of the demon they had used for Bloodborne, before wiping off his knife with his shirt, "What if we get tracked down?"

No one had to call out the name of the syndicate, the very group that almost caused them to get wiped out without a trace.

With that said, Abraxas tried to lighten the mood with a grin, "Let's not worry about it! I mean, we haven't heard anything about or from them in a long time!"

"You weren't here when it got worse." Vale scowled, giving Abraxas a look, "You don't understand what they could have done."

"Drop it, both of you." Shax commanded, rubbing the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, "We still have work that we need to attend to back at the bar."

"Not to mention a brat." Zagan grumbled, irritatingly shoving his hands into his coat pockets, "Wherever Kuro is, I hope that she's doing better than we are."

"I'm sure that she's doing much better, especially when she finds out about the towers we decimated." Shax insisted, before looking off towards the castle.

If he could, he'd smile. Surely Kuro would have an easier time going to sleep tonight knowing that the issue on the outside had been taken care of.

* * *

 **It took long enough, right?**

 **Amy: Finally, chapter...What number is this?**

 **Lilith: Chapter 19.**

 **Amy: Holy shit, you've been taking your sweet time with this shit!**

 **Erin: How long will this story be?**

 **Kuro: Yes.**

 **Erin:...This bitch...**

 **Kurt: *Pulls out a finger pointer out of no where* Don't fuck with me, I've got God and Anime on my side!**

 **Amy: My God, much nice, so ludicrous.**

 **Lilith:...I'm surrounded by idiots that you've created.**

 **Miu: I'm n-not an idiot.**

 **Lilith: No, you're worse; you're a pussy.**

 **Miu: (0_0)**

 **Me: You know what, I let you guys into the first author's notes in a while and this happens; fuck all of you, GTFO!**

 **...Anywho...**

 **he only other "romance" story I've written is that Ouran Highschool host club one, the Rose Petals stuff. Everything else is either adventure, humor, mystery, or an odd mix of the three. With that said, I've had to least experience with romance.**

 **So, with that said, I'm sorry if I'm offending any of you romantic-reading buffs out there.**

 **Also, I did a lot of editing for this chapter, I hope that the time-jumping isn't too confusing.**

 **And if it is than...**

 **...Fuck.**

 **Either way, hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll cya next chapter!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	20. His Fair Lady, A Naive Deceiver

**ハロー!**

 **私は総ゴミ.**

 **私はイルミナティと一緒に働いています.**

 **しかし、あなたはそれを知りません.**

 **日本語を読むことができない限り！**

 **よりも、私はGoogle翻訳を使用しています.**

 **だから、この作者のメモを解読しようとする幸運.**

 **さて、私はweebを停止します.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kuro woke up in a daze.

She groaned, one hand holding her head while the other pushed herself up off of the bed.

She could recognize the after effects of a ticker, but the memories leading up to the moment were fuzzy at best.

She remembered walking out the castle gates...Corvus had been irritated with something...And then, it had to be something with the towers...

Kuro groaned, holding her head, before lying back down. Maybe she didn't need to remember everything right now, one memory at a time didn't hurt as much.

She as to the point where the door creaking open and close hurt her ears, "Lady K-Kuro!" Vanth's voice squeaked, making Kuro's headache all the worse.

For a moment, Kuro's mind was nothing but fuzz. Everything hurt, there was no other way to explain or simplify it.

But, it all washed away when something cool was applied to her forehead, the hazy feeling fading away.

When Kuro was sure that she wouldn't vomit, she opened her eyes, giving the worried Vanth a grin, "Where'd you get that Amarix?"

"Y-your friend g-gave it to me," Vanth replied softly, as if she was saying the wrong thing, "He said that, knowing y-you, you'd need it."

"Well, Shax isn't often wrong." Kuro groaned, slowly rising off of the bed. While the Amarix did its work, it still took a bit of time for her head to really clear, "And when he is 'wrong', he's not wrong; he's just lying to your face."

"If I do have a say," Vanth murmured, looking around as if she were scared something would jump out of nowhere, "Your f-friend Shax is v-very knowledgeable."

"That's to be expected," Kuro grinned, shaking off the remainder of her headache, "You've got to be smart if you want to lead a group of stupid people."

Vanth only nodded with affirmation, wiping off the extra medicine, when another question came to Kuro's head, "Umm, if I may ask, what happened?"

"...Well...W-what do you remember?"

"Walking to the Rift with Corvus, and judging by how I woke up, someone detonated a ticker." Kuro said, trying to piece it together.

"A t-ticker?" Vanth asked, scratching the back of her head, "All I know i-is that you and the Prince went to inspect the towers, and a f-few of them blew up, including t-the one you two w-were in."

Kuro groaned, putting the pieces together, "Now it makes sense."

She couldn't explain to Vanth that it had been that "smart friend" to put her in the position she was in today. She didn't think that they'd get the message so quickly, nor did she think that they'd go through with the detonation just as fast.

Huh, the more you know.

"But wait...If I'm here, where's Corvus?"

"He was t-taken to the remedial w-wing." Vanth murmured, "The guards p-panicked when the prince came back holding y-you, they thought y-you were dead, and thought the prince was on his way as well."

Kuro scoffed, a small grin on her face, "It'll take a lot more than a ticker to put me down."

"Glad t-to know that." Vanth said, offering a small smile.

Finally, Kuro groaned, finally feeling good enough to rise from the bed, before looking down on the dress, "Damn, it was a nice casual one too." She grumbled, looking down at the char marks and rips, before shaking her head, "Is Corvus okay?"

"I don't know, I w-was assigned to stay here and make sure y-you recovered." Vanth whispered, tugging at her ribbon, "They w-were sure you w-wouldn't make it to tomorrow."

"Said it once, I'll say it again." Kuro smirked, "It'll take more than just a ticker to put me down for good."

Vanth laughed lightly, about to go on, before a knock came to the door. Kuro was about to get up to answer it, only to have Vanth shake her head, "Y-you're supposed to stay o-on the bed a-and rest," Vanth insisted, "If y-you get up, I'll g-get in trouble!"

"Jeez, fine, okay, going down." Kuro grinned, before lying back down, watching the door.

She noted how daintily Vanth tugged the door open, peeking out to speak with someone Kuro couldn't see from this angle, "Yes? Yes, s-she's awake...Are you sure t-that would be-Oh, okay...Yes, I'll b-be sure to t-tell her."

With that, she bid whoever it was good day, before closing the door. Her expression was doleful, as if she'd just seen a puppy get ran over, "What is it, kid?"

"I t-told them that y-you were awake a-and well," Vanth murmured, her voice then getting so soft that not even Kuro, who had trained her ears to be used to Vanth's speech, could pick it up.

"Run that by me again, would you?"

Vanth tried, only to stop, clearing her throat before she went on, "They s-said that, if y-you were up, the king w-would like an audience w-with you."

"...Fuck."

* * *

Corvus had been lying on the same white cot since he'd arrived back at the castle, unable to really do anything else.

His mind was still reeling, or maybe it was a side effect of whatever that explosion had been made out of.

Yes, that's how the headache could be answered, but as for this other feeling…

If was like the one he had gotten at the meeting, when Kuro- No, that wasn't right. This wasn't right, it didn't feel right.

The door opened, as a maid/nurse peeked inside, "Prince Corvus? Are you doing well?"

"Leave me."

Knowing better than to question it, the nurse left, closing and possibly locking the door behind her. She left him to the chaos that was his mind, the utter confusion as to what could cause this unholy fluttering in his stomach, or the unnatural giddy feeling on his chest.

What the hell was wrong with him?

* * *

Meanwhile, Kuro stood before a brand-new grand door, one that made it very obvious what was behind.

She tugged at the collar of her rather fancy dress. It dragged on the ground, with many ruffs and a bit too fluffy for her taste. But, at least it was a consistent black.

It made her look like she was ready for a funeral.

Her own.

With a gulp, she said a quick prayer, only to slap herself in the face. Praying wouldn't do anything good, if anything, that would come back to bite her in the ass.

Nothing could save her from this.

With a deep inhale, she knocked on the door.

 **"Enter."**

Kuro shuddered, unable to ignore the command, before pushing the door open.

She felt as if she'd been in a place like this before, or maybe it was because it looked like your everyday stereotypical throne room.

A long red carpet on the black ground lead up to the throne, where a swirl of black with two red eyes sat.

As she got closer, too scared to take her eyes off of what could be a threat, she could slowly but surely see the outline of something humanoid.

At his right, Legion sat, looking as indistinct as ever. It was uncanny how similar the two looked, to a point.

While she expected those two, she didn't think that the sin of sloth would be sitting off to Satan's left.

He sat on the steps, relaxing as he leaned back on the upper step. He seemed to be more or less wearing the same thing as she'd last saw him in, white dress shirt stuffed into long khaki dress pants, light blue hair swept to the side.

Out of all of them, Belphegor yawned in greetings, to which Kuro gave a small wave, "Yo."

She stood there awkwardly for what felt to be a century, before it snapped in her head, as she got down on one knee, "Your highness."

 **"...You may rise."** The king said, to which Kuro did so quickly. Her knees didn't like being bent for too long, **"I do hope that this meeting isn't too strenuous for you. I'm told that you are still recovering."**

"It is no problem," Kuro grinned, before it hit her, as she hastily added, "Your highness."

 _"While there is nothing wrong with this small talk, I press that we get to the point of the meeting, sire."_ Legion said, his voice sounding like sandpaper, or maybe it was feeling like sandpaper?

Could you hear sandpaper?

Kuro inwardly slapped herself in the face, now was not the time to ask herself that.

 **"Tell us of what you saw during your inspection."** The king's voice drew her out of her mind yet again, **"I've yet to have a chance to speak with my son; nor have I had the time to...inspect what the mind behind it has to say."**

Even though he didn't out right say it, it was pretty clear that Satan wasn't too pleased with what Cresil had created.

"Well, if I'm honest sir, a lot of it is still hazy," Kuro said, being careful with her words. She didn't have to lie if she didn't say anything about Yoru, "But I remember something, a bomb, going off while we were in the guard tower."

 **"Is that so?"** Something about his tone told her he already knew that much, but Kuro ignored it, surely, they could have seen the explosion from the castle, **"Do you have any thoughts on why it was done, or who could have done it?"**

It was like the conversation with Cresil, there was a lot of underlying meaning to what the king was saying.

"I don't know much, but I think that I won't be the first to assume that it was a Rifter," Kuro stated, keeping a level tone, knowing fully well what would happen if it even sounded like she was lying, "I mean, they're Rifters. They don't want to deal with the guard, or royalty in general, for longer than they have to."

 **"I find that point of view very...intriguing."** Satan spoke, seeming to recline ever so slightly on his throne, moving to rest his chin upon his open palm, **"It is...interesting how Tempters work, is it not?"**

"It's very different." Kuro conceded, feeling uneasy. What was this guy's play from here?

 _"We have reason to believe that there is one, if not many, groups that are working to overthrow all that we have created."_ Legion voiced.

All the while, Belphegor sat on the side and watched, his pitch-black eyes making it hard to see what he was thinking.

Heck, for all she knew, dude could just want a nap.

"If I may speak, sir?" Kuro asked as politely as possible.

 **You are free to speak."**

"Of course, there are demons in the Rift that would love to overthrow you," Kuro said, keeping her eyes on Legion the whole time, "There might even be some right here, within our very capitol."

 **"A fascinating ideal, from someone who, from what I've been told, was brought up in the Rift."**

 _"Interesting indeed."_ Legion agreed, before turning to the demon on the stairs, _"What do you think of it, Belphegor?"_

"...It has nothing to do with me."

 _"Spoken like the king of true detachment."_ Legion said softly.

 **"As I was saying,"** Satan murmured, his voice holding a warning, **"I believe that your input could help to unify all of hell, being how you are one of the only the make it this far from where you started."**

"I am honored to know that my say means more here." Kuro said with a small grin.

 **"Then you must feel equally privileged to be let in on a…secret, if you would."** Satan murmured, his posture screaming dignity. Kuro found it kinda funny that Legion was trying to do the same but his, unlike the king, made him look like that one fanboy that was trying to get close enough to steal something off of his "idol", **"Due to recent events, there has been a lot of belligerence going around the Rift."**

"That's to be expected." Kuro murmured, not sure where he was going with this.

 **"By chance, do you know of any of these offending groups?"**

Oh. That's where he was going.

...Fuck.

* * *

Corvus was going mad.

His confusion went from having him lie down to pacing the room, trying to figure it out. His mind came up with many ideas, but none of them seemed to fit the puzzle he'd been making.

It was driving him crazy, leading to him from pacing to over-turning the nightstand and the dresser in the far corner. The sheets from his bed were on the floor, pillow and pillow case also strewn about.

It looked like a child had just finished throwing a tantrum.

The whole time, Corvus' mind was about to explode, as he continued to try to find the answer.

He'd never felt like this before, it had only begun to happen after...After bringing Kuro back.

Was it because he got to carry her? No, that can't be right, he'd done that before.

Not to mention that, now that he thought of it, he's done it with many others whom he needed something from.

Demons, humans; the women were usually the same, they'd do anything just to feel a sliver of "love" and "affection".

But, if that were the case, he should have been feeling this from much earlier on.

Maybe it was a worse internal problem, maybe he'd eaten a bad soul, and this was some form of food poisoning.

To this, he nearly slammed his head into the wall for how stupid he sounded.

Of course, that wasn't a possibility, he was just being stupid!

But what else could it be, there is nothing else! He's been to the Rift before, and this hadn't happened. He's been on a date with Kuro before, and this hadn't happened.

What was going on here?

What was he missing here!?

When the feeling of being locked in finally got to him, he pulled his coat over his shoulders, nearly ripping the door open before slamming it shut behind him.

Surely a quick stroll outside would help to ease his conscience.

Right?

* * *

 _"I do believe that our king asked you a question, Tempter."_ Legion scowled, looking as if he was scolding a child, minus that evil glint in his eye.

All the while, it took all of Kuro's willpower not to snap under the pressure. What could she say? What sounded believable?

"With all due respect, your highness, as I said before, I'm sure that there are many small groups that are working to overthrow you."

 **"I am well aware of that possibility."** Satan sighed. It was hard to get a read on this guy, maybe it was because of all the damn smoke, but from what she heard, the only one to see his true form was the queen, and she'd never heard much on the lady before.

Maybe he was just so ugly that he had to do that, and the queen died from how ugly the king is.

Or, maybe he got sick of her and ordered a new one every time his sons got a new bride.

Or maybe-

Maybe now wasn't a good time to speculate.

 **"What I want to know is if you know about any of these groups."** The king sighed, his regal stance slowly morphing into one of, **"What we need to know is their location, numbers, that sort of information."**

Kuro gulped, doing all she could not to show the tension that threatened to bubble over. There was no way that she'd sell out Shax, but at the same time, what would she have to do to hide them?

"I don't know any exact locations of any of these teams," Kuro said, keeping her voice steady as she looked the king in the eye, "But, if it is required of me, I will do what I can to help."

To this, Legion scowled, _"Your highness, she spews only lies. She is not to be trusted, let alone should she be allowed to leave alive."_

"You're one to speak of lies." Kuro nearly snapped.

From the side, she could see Belphegor slowly gaining some interest, as Satan took a more rigid stance, the only thing she could use to explain the tornado-hidden silhouette being "bewilderment", **"...Legion, what does she speak of?"**

 _"Trickery and nothing more, my lord."_ Legion snarled, giving Kuro a look that could have and would have killed, to which Kuro only wore a smirk of amusement, _"She betrays her words, there is a hidden meaning to them."_

"I promise you, my lord, I have no reason to lie." Kuro said, doing all she could to appeal to the king, "Yes, I grew up in the Rift, but in the tyranny of the iron fist most gangs held! If I knew anything, I'd be the first to volunteer information to bring them to their knees!"

 **"...Prove it."**

Kuro broke into a cold sweat, "I'm sorry, sir?"

 **"Surely you have reason to hate these groups,"** Satan murmured, Legion growling next to him, the two's demeanor looking more different than night and day, **"I have no reason to rival that. But, if you truly abhor them, I'd like to see some physical proof."**

Where the fuck was she going to get that?

She thought for a moment, just a moment, when the idea came to mind.

Zagan, you sick genius.

"This is all I have, it's also all I need." Kuro stated, before pulling up her dress.

Not too much, no, she wasn't that desperate (yet) to get out of this, but she pulled it up to her mid-thigh, just high enough to show a long-jagged scar running from the back of the top of her calf all the way down to her ankle, slowly growing sparse on its way down, like a claw mark.

"What is that?" Belphegor finally spoke up.

"It was my first and last warning to stay out of their way." Kuro murmured, letting the dress fall back into place once she was sure they'd all seen it, "I was young when they caught me trying to steal their supplies, a bit of gold and such, things I needed to survive in that hole."

"They caught me before I could get away. One of them managed to drive a knife down my leg when I was getting away."

 _"That could be from anything."_ Legion scowled.

"But only shards can cause demons to scar." Kuro shot right back.

 _"In that case, it is also highly probable that you had a run in with the guard at a young age."_ Legion scoffed, _"It's not unknown for Rifter children to be caught for petty crimes."_

"But there is also a law that says that, while the guard is allowed to use force against a child if needed, they're not allowed to draw blood." Kuro said, before turning to the king, "Unless that law has changed, sir?"

 **"She is right..."** The king murmured, looking lost in thought. Again, hard to tell how someone looks when they're in a cyclone of evil, **"We have what we need from you, you're dismissed."**

From those words and his tone, Kuro couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. She'd just dodged a bullet, no, more like matrixed a whole armada of angry cannons, "Thank you for your time, my king." Kuro said.

Now that she thought about it, it was kinda of an off parting, since he was the one to call her in, but he didn't seem to worry or care, waving her off.

She then quickly walked down the hall, managing the pry the large door open once again, before disappearing into the hallway.

At that very moment, one thing crossed her mind.

"Where can I find a nice cozy closet with nice cozy blankets to crash in?"

* * *

Wrong.

Fresh air didn't do anything to help.

Of course, it could have been for the fact that hell didn't have any fresh air, but either way, it didn't matter.

He was still confused.

He quickly found himself outside, in the back of the castle. Once he made sure he was alone, he turned to the obsidian wall, throwing his fist into the brick.

All the while, Corvus breathed heavily, still shaking as he clawed at his dress shirt, hands purple from the bruises the wall.

What was this, this feeling? He felt too hot, but also much too cold. He felt sick, light in the head, but at the same time, he felt as if his head had never been clearer.

All the while, she danced through his head.

Corvus couldn't help but laugh to himself for a moment, imagining Kuro in a nice dress, acting civil and ladylike and charming and…and…

He felt a fluttering feeling in his stomach, as if he wanted to vomit. He nearly did so at the very suggestion his brain gave him.

But why?

"...Damn it, damn it all…"

It then hit him. Holding his head, he squeezed his eyes shut.

But no, he thought, a hand running through his hair, the other one shakenly holding himself up against the wall.

It couldn't be less likely, he knew how to play the game, some of his older brothers liked to joke about how it was a family tradition passed down...

But then...was it possible…

Was this how it felt to those he's seduced?

Was this the feeling of falling under someone else's spell?

He let out another growl, his fist going from pushing himself up to angrily attempting to create a new hole in the wall.

There was a part of him that wanted to fight back. This wasn't right, but even then, nothing about it felt wrong.

He growled, punching the wall in anger. How dare she do this, slowly taking him over when he'd been trying to do the same to her?

"No, no no no, this isn't right...None of this is right..."

He wasn't supposed to fall for her! She was supposed to fall for him! That's how it always works out.

Soon enough, the dark obsidian was covered in craters, some deeper than others. One portion of the wall was very close to crumbling, but who cared, the only ones to come back here were the caretakers.

Looking down at his bloodied fists, he growled, irritated.

He could practically hear some witty comment that Kuro would come up with upon seeing his hands.

 _"How are you gonna take care of a kingdom if you can't take care of yourself, ya Goofball?"_

Peeling his hand from the crater, his growls turned to uneven chuckles. That slowly but surely turned into laughing.

It would seem as if it wasn't only his brother that knew how to weave and spring a trap.

No bother, now she was even more enticing.

"To think that the prey would involve herself as a puppet master." Corvus murmured to himself, as if Kuro could hear him from where ever she was at the moment. He sighed, shaking his head as he shoved his hands into his pocket.

Feeling a lot calmer, he wondered if that was all he really needed, just sometime to surrender himself to the insanity of the game, to be enveloped by the condemned edict that had so graciously decided to befall him.

"To think that she could ensnare both of our black hearts," Corvus smirked, walking back for the entrance of the castle, "Now I can see what you did, Aranea. The way that she entices you so, without seeming to notice, no less."

"You've had a chance to spring your trap, and I have no intention of rigging our little game, but maybe it is time for me to go on ahead and begin moving the important pieces into play."

Corvus grinned to himself, he knew exactly what to do next.

"I swear by it, dear brother; by every avaricious and vainglorious detail that makes me what I am, she'll be mine and mine alone."

* * *

Leviathan usually hated staying around the castle.

So many things to hate about the place, like the prideful son of Lucifer, or maybe because of the deal with Legion going sour.

Either way, this wasn't one of those moments.

He stood in the lab of one of his followers, under the castle. He watched as the follower ran a hand through his dark blue hair in frustration, "I don't get it, I built it to perfection! It was tested, it's been tested for centuries! I don't understand!"

"Do all you want, it still failed." Leviathan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He did not have any sort of fondness of this place. It had been Beelzebub's original office, before Legion moved in. He remembered how many times he had been forced to stay down here.

But, with Legion, many changes came.

"I don't understand," Cresil growled, slamming his hands down on the table before him, before throwing all of the blueprints off of the table in his rage, "Our king won't be happy with this, I've failed more than enough times."

Leviathan scowled, holding his head. Out of all of the Envy representatives out there, of course this nerd is the one that is taken in by the royals.

Suddenly, from behind the door, a knock came.

"What!?" Cresil shouted, nearly making Leviathan jump. Usually the demon was calm, even if he was irritated. But, at the same time, there was a good chance that, with all the gold that their king put into this project, his follower could lose a lot more than just his job.

The door was thrown open by someone dressed in all black, like a ninja, "Lord Envy, we found something from the blast sites!"

"Oh?" Leviathan said, faking concern. Judging by the outfit he wore, he must have been a Nigrum from his team, Cinis. Honestly, while it was one of his most important jobs, it was still super boring. They had one main job, and even then, it's been awhile since they've had any sort of lead.

The Nigrum pulled out something from his back pocket, "Take a good look at it, sir! I'm sure you know what it is!"

Leviathan scowled, taking the item from the Nigrum, before looking it over. No, it could be a prank, it had to be a prank, "...We haven't had them use this calling card in decades…"

"What are you talking about?" Cresil moaned, holding his hands over his head on the table, "My 'demotion'?"

"While you managed to waste away gold on your stupid art project," Leviathan grinned, excusing the Nigrum before slamming the calling "card" down, a gold coin with a hole right through the middle, looking like it was shot through with a very precise gun; or, maybe a very precise shooter, "I'm sure it'll be overshadowed by this."

Leviathan tossed Cresil the coin, said demon almost dropping it, "...I thought that they were fake. You said your team hasn't had anything documented on them in the last decade!"

"I may need to get new employment soon then." Leviathan said, his expression a mix between a scowl and a grin, before rolling his shoulders, "Come then, Cresil; we have a damage report to give to our king."

* * *

 **This, like most chapters these days tbh, took a lot longer than I thought it would.**

 **A good friend of mine read it over and told me that I put more thought into this story than I do for my homework.**

 **Which, sadly, is fairly very true.**

 **Oh, before I forget, leave a review if you can read the beginning author's note without google translate. I legit tried to write in Genji's ULT, and the translation I got was "Climb the fence."**

 **Imagine Genji doing that for an ULT. He's so sick of this shit, he's gonna climb his way into Platinum.**

 **I should stop before I offend people who actually play and that get offended by people like me that pretend to play.**

 **...ANYWHO!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy, do feel free to leave a review, and I'll cya guys next chapter!**

 **Whenever it comes out. Cause, let's be honest, there is no schedule for these things. The moment they're ready, they're out.**

 **But with that said, till next time, bad bad!**


	21. His Fair Lady, Once covert pt 1

**Hi hi!**

 **So, this chapter ended up planned to be super long.**

 **It's so long that I had to break it up into two parts.**

 **I've yet to finish up part 2, but I'm trying to make weekly updates, so yeah. This'll probably be my longest story yet, I have a lot more chapters with a lot more shit to cover.**

 **Much fun.**

 **Also, I can't feel my fingers.**

 **much much fun.**

 **Any who, enough of that, you're not here for the author's notes!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

When one worked with a more-or-less illegal group, you expect to be doing some shady crap.

For example, a normal day within team Yoru, from the primary source of Valefor, involved thievery, infiltration, and a whole lot of blackmail.

One thing you don't find on that list, however, is wearing a dress.

But, of course, it being Kuro's shit luck, of course her first legit "mission" would end up with four guys turning her into a barbie doll.

"I won't do it."

"This isn't a request." Vale threw back, all five of them sitting at the table.

"This will be our only chance to see what's going on," Shax reasoned, or at least, attempted to do so, "And, last I checked, this is the type of job that you'd perform with best."

Kuro didn't trust herself to speak, rather scowling at the picture and information on the table. The picture was familiar, a shot of their not-too-friendly and not-too-old neighbor. Honestly, with all the white vampire make-up he wore and the purple eyeliner he seemed to adore, he looked like a creepier version of Kefka.

If that was possible, I guess.

Vale had trusted her to pick up any information on the demon, an incubus by the name of Nyryth, but all she ever got word of were his, ugh, "other-worldly" parties.

It made it very hard to sleep at night when she was stuck at her apartment.

"We don't know when he'll be having another party like this," Vale sighed, throwing down a few more papers that looked like his own handwritten notes, "And since it'll be in a different hotel, it'll be very hard for them to assume that his neighbors had anything to do with it."

"I still don't see why it's important to crash THIS party in THIS sort of fashion."

"Nyryth is a close friend and worker with Kroni, a toss away detail I'm sure you've both picked up." Shax murmured, a hand holding up his chin as he looked over everything, looking like a mob boss planning the next raid, which he technically was, "Anything going on in that group, he'll know."

"This is a lot of shit we're doing to avenge just one guy," Kuro murmured, before mentally slapping herself for how discourteous she sounded, "I don't mean to be an asshole or anything, but still, you must have one hell of a grudge to go this far."

"We are more than capable to deal with the weight of our actions," Vale scoffed, "You're only here to help carry it out."

"Well shit, no need to go that far." Kuro grumbled, sinking back into her chair. Her position in this whole team was odd, for lack of better word.

She was technically a team member, Shax made that much obvious, but when it came to Vale, he treated her more like a child he was forced to babysit.

But hey, when you think about it, he wasn't wrong. Kuro was the child of the team, it made sense for the smart "I don't have time to deal with this nonsense" guy to be irritated with the aimless demon that was herself.

"Furthermore," Shax went on, daring anyone to speak out against him, "I'll have Abraxas on the roof, as per usual."

"Yay." He grinned, looking happier with the cake in front of him rather than the order, "Do I get another slice if I just agree?"

"Yes."

"Yay!"

"Also," Shax said, deeming his brother no longer worthy of his attention, "Vale will be another party goer, making sure everything goes as planned."

"Is it wise for me to be working out in the field?" Vale questioned, "It might be a bit more tactical for me to stay behind and work the monitors and communication."

"I'll be working those today." Shax insisted, "There will be no need for a Bloodborne tactic, but we will need people on the ground. I do hope that works for you, old friend."

"As if there was any room to try to weasel out." Vale scowled, looking more irritated as time went on.

"Last but not least, Zagan will be the planter, as well as the bodyguard to our esteemed guest," Shax said, eyes flickering to Kuro, "Lady Xenieth Vilinelin."

"That's a succubus name." Kuro said, eyes narrowing, before it struck her, "It's gonna be one of 'those' parties, isn't it?"

"I'm sure that you'll be more than capable of pulling such an act off." Vale insisted.

"Valefor, you'll be operating under your usual incubi name." Shax said.

"Naturally."

"Zagan, since we had to stage a murder for your last identity, you'll be Eorix Wharnil."

"That's doable." Zagan murmured.

"Hold up," Kuro murmured, slowly but surely realizing that there was no real way out of this, "We can get all the fake names we want, hell, we can call Vale Sir Unicorn or Twilight Sparkle-."

"I don't even want to know."

"-It won't matter if the names aren't on the guest list. Rifter party or not, if it's this important like you claim, they won't let just any fake succubi and incubi in."

"A good thing we took the liberty to make sure the names will be on the list." Shax murmured, a smirk on his face. He knew what she was trying to do, but it didn't hurt to humor her, just for a bit.

"How'd you do that? Murder the original demons?" Kuro asked, twisting her ring around her finger as she hoped she could buy enough time to figure out how to get out of this,

"No, we're not that barbaric," Vale stepped in, laughing humorlessly, "I went in three weeks prior to ensure we had a spot, or someone who liked me enough to give us a spot. My incubi identity is good friends with a member of Nyryth's clique, it wasn't hard to infiltrate."

"Hey, that rhymed."

"Stop trying to change the subject." Vale and Shax said together, both giving her a hard look.

All the while, Zagan snickered, "There's no way out of this one, Xenieth." he said, slowly walking over towards the doorway, leaning on the wall.

"Kiss my ass, you fucking brute." Kuro hissed, giving the nearly laughing Abraxas a look that made him quickly shut up, "There is no way that you'll get me into that."

"How much are you willing to bet?" Shax asked, smirk stretching into a sly line, before he snapped his fingers, Zagan hitting the lights.

* * *

"Abraxas, have I ever told you how much I fucking hate you?"

"Have I ever told you to cut your damn nails?" Abraxas scowled, looking up his forearms, "It stings like a bitch."

"I feel the same with my pride." Kuro grumbled, looking herself over in the mirror.

During the fun game of sudden blackout, Abraxas had taken the confusion as a chance of dragging Kuro into what looked to be a closet, if the swinging light bulb was any sort of indication.

Who knows, maybe it was Abraxas' happy space.

She looked down at the skimpy dress with disgust. It was short, and while she hated long dresses for how hard it was to run in them, it didn't help when you ran and were forced to keep pulling down the skirt, for fear that someone saw your panties.

It was also a very flashy and very eye-catching light pink, like that one teenage girl trying to get the attention of older guys because...You know, she never did understand why.

"How does someone blend in while wearing something like this?" Kuro growled, tugging angrily at her now straightened hair, "This isn't natural, it's making my ears twitch!"  
"In that case, we should do this more often," Abraxas said, grinning before pushing the door open.

Kuro hissed from the sudden overflow of light, eyes narrowing as she adjusted, only to nearly laugh, a hand covering her mouth

In the meeting room, Vale stood on top of a tall step stool, dressed like the typical party-going incubi. He had a bright and flashy purple vest over a pink dress shirt, with what looked to be bell bottom pants and white shoes on as well.

But, the part that made Kuro nearly snicker was how Vale had to stand on the stepstool to do Zagan's hair.

The brute looked like Cobra Bubbles from Lilo and Stitch, looking like a CIA agent or bouncer. The only difference was, instead of being allowed to remain bald, Vale was hard at work to make a sad muffin-like cake of blond hair work from the muscle.

"Yo, 1970's called, they want their pants back." Kuro grinned, giving the two a look, "Also, I knew I'd be getting a bodyguard, but who would have known it would be rich uncle Fester?"

"You're not funny, no one gets whatever you're trying so hard to reference." Vale said without hesitation, "Also, you look just as bad as we do."

"Well, sorry for trying to be the laughter to your buzzkill." Kuro muttered, sitting down at the chair, Abraxas doing the same.

He looked around for a bit, scratching the back of his head, "Where did Shax go?"

"He's setting up shop in his reading corner." Vale sighed, stepping off of the ladder with his hands up, as if the wig were going to fall at any given moment, only to sigh with relief when it didn't, "He wants us to leave within the next fifteen minutes."

"That remind me," Abraxas murmured, before taking something out of his pocket. It was small with little shape to it, looking the same color as flesh, "Won't she need one of these?"

"It's been taken care of." Vale insisted, before tossing Kuro something.

She caught it, looking the tiny device over, "...What's with mystery item number 1?"

"It's an earpiece," Vale said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, before taking one out of his pocket, shoving it into his ear, "How else will we be able to communicate with Shax?"

"This is turning into some real spy bullshit, just saying." Kuro mumbled, pushing the item into her ear, before nodding, "Anything else I'll need?"

Vale nodded to Abraxas, who seemed to produce a small shoulder bag out of nowhere, "Under no circumstance are you allowed to be away from this bag." Vale said, his voice sounding like Shax but, honestly, holding little to no authority over her.

"And why is that, boss man?" Kuro asked childishly.

Vale looked as if he was going to say something, only to stop, seeming as if he were deep in thought, "I'll inform you on it on the way; Shax says it's go time."

* * *

As they approached the large building's entrance, Kuro clutched the bag closely to her.

No wonder they said to keep it close. If shit went down, it was the only thing that would ensure that she got out alive.

Early on, Abraxas had split off from the group, saying he was going to set up where he could work the best as eyes.

When they got closer, slowly but surely blending into the mob of other demons crowding in to get something tonight, she found it a bit uncomfortable to walk in without Abraxas.

He was the only one (besides Zagan who turned out to be an odd sort of sweetheart with more muscle than brain) that was genuinely nice to her.

Shax treated everything like a sort of business transaction, like his own personal game. He wasn't an asshole, far from it, but there was a very fine line of friend and friendly boss that Kuro didn't think she was welcomed to step over.

Then, there was Vale.

He was an asshole, treating her like a stupid child. Whenever he said something, he made sure to be slow, explaining even the most basic things until Kuro insisted that she understood. He treated her like a chore.

She was snapped from her thoughts when the three walked into two bouncers, each with shoulder spans wide enough to keep most of the light from inside the party inside.

"Names?" One asked, giving them a look, while the other held out a clipboard.

"I'm Surith Braxtar," Vale said, formally introducing himself, before reaching out to grab Kuro's hand, much to her displeasure, "This is my soon to be sister-in-law, Xenieth Vilinelin."

She was partly glad that he'd said her name, possibly forgetting a few letters every now and then, but that didn't stop her from squeezing her nails into Vale's hand, a toothy smile on her face.

That's what he got for trying to act a bit too Shax-like.

"This is her personal assistant, Eorix Wharnil." Vale finally said, gesturing to Zagan, who seemed to growl in greeting.

Kuro gulped when the one holding the clipboard gave them a look, eyes narrowed, "You're not on the list."

To this, Vale laughed, making Kuro wonder if her insanity had finally worn off on him, "Of course not, we're on that special set."

To this, the other bouncer's eyes widened, "You're that Surith?"

"The one and only."

"Ah, yes, of course. Saleos will be hosting a more personal party on the second floor." He said, before the two stepped to the side.

Kuro took one last breathe of the tranquil air, wondering if that would be her last, before following Vale inside, doing her best to resist the urge to kick him in the back of his heels.

* * *

Abraxas kicked down the last door, sniper strung over his back, before surveying his area. It was not much of a difference from his spot on the bar, a decent vantage point, and due to the large windows in the building, it was easy to track the action without a scope.

Not that he'd ever use one.

He set the sniper up on the roof, lying down so that he looked like any other burlap sack that resided on the roof, before pressing his ear piece twice, "Cyan, in position."

"I want eyes on the second floor." He heard Shax say, voice loud, annoying, and clear, "How are we, Mauve?"

"Alive and well, going to checkpoint." Vale growled through the com, "I knew it would be crowded, but this is getting ridiculous."

"What's with all the stupid code names?" Abraxas nearly laughed at the sound of Kuro's voice, seeing through the window how she seemed very uncomfortable being ogled by the incubi she passed, "I feel like I should be calling Shax Alpha 1 soon."

"Do we have eyes on the target?" Vale asked, Abraxas snickering at how they ignored Kuro, "I'd like to spend as little time down here as possible."

"Yep, we've got the target on the second floor." Abraxas murmured, eyes narrowing before slipping on his shades. What most didn't know was that the lens was yellow for a reason; X-ray vision.

Of course, demons usually have above average eyesight, at least, compared to humans. But, with the stolen gift, it was like having built-in scopes that could see through walls, skin, you name it.

"He's in a room alone, do I engage?"

"No, do not fire." Came Shax's demanding voice, "We don't know what kind of cameras could be on him, or if he's being staged there. Besides, we still need to know what he knows."

"After that, then I get to bust in some heads, right?" Zagan said lowly, his tone and voice kept in check as to not attract too much attention.

"We will go through with this as planned," Shax murmured, "In the event that communication goes down or we get uncovered, that's when we panic."

"Roger roger, going dark." Abraxas murmured, turning off the feed, before popping and ear bud into his free ear, chuckling darkly, "I can't wait for things to go to shit."

* * *

"It's all going to shit."

"Calm down," Vale murmured, pushing his way through the crowd. Kuro walked not too far behind him, Zagan acting as a sort of wall to keep away as many touchy incubi as possible.

It didn't do much, but it did help, "that is the fifth time that someone ran a hand down my leg! And I don't even know how they got that damn close!"

"Calm down and don't worry about it," Vale said lowly, just under the hum of the music, "The sooner we get what we need, the sooner we can leave."

"Whatever you say." Kuro murmured, looking around with disgust. The place reminded her of a flashy nightclub...Well, okay, to be fair, that's kinda what it was.

Pink and white dance lights came from above, while a lot of the floor looked illuminated by light blues and oranges.

In short, if she stared at one area for too long, she was sure she was going to have a seizure, "Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"

Vale looked like he was going to say something, when he stopped, frozen.

Kuro would have thought that he was being a dick, only to have Zagan grab her shoulder, "A1, we need to abort. He's here and heading up the staircase."

Kuro was about to snicker at the name, before Vale suddenly spun to face her, shaking his head, "No, we will not leave. We're this close."

"Well, what do you plan to do?" Zagan said lowly, "Even I'm not dumb enough to think we could make it past him."

"Anyone wanna clue me in?" Kuro asked, making a face.

Finally, Vale sighed, "...A1, what do you say we do?"

 _"...Red."_

With that, Vale scowled, before looking to Zagan, "We're on our own for this; you go plant the devices. After that, get out of the building and rendezvous with Cyan."

Zagan nodded, before waddling off into the crowd, slowly but surely disappearing.

Kuro sniffled, tracing a fake tear down her cheek, "We lost a brave soldier today-."

"Be silent and dance with me." Vale murmured, sounding no happier with this situation than she looked.

Before she could protest, Vale held her close, like, hand-on-ass close, "Struggle and you risk giving us away."

"Well maybe if you explained yourself before doing it, like a gentleman, we wouldn't have to worry about me doing something like that, huh?" Kuro growled lowly.

"In that case, I do hope you'll shut up and listen, this is the only chance I'll get to fill you in." Vale murmured, looking around once again, before clearing his throat.

"There is an old enemy of ours here. He goes by the name of Malmor Hiems, also known as the mob boss Winter." Vale murmured, Kuro trying not to make it too obvious that his face was way too close to her own, "If he is here, there is a chance that this whole operation is compromised, and if he spots me or Zagan, no one will leave this place alive."

"Doesn't explain why you're treating me like your unlucky prom date." Kuro scowled.

"Is it not obvious? We're surrounded by demons of lust, most of which would have noticed us sticking out by now, but if we stay this close, there is little chance for anyone to overhear us." He then quickly added, "Don't worry, this is as uncomfortable for me as it is for you."

"Glad to know that we can finally agree on something." Kuro murmured.

"Now then, to get up those stairs..." Vale sighed, looking around, before a grin stretched across his face. Kuro could tell immediately, possibly because of the fact that he didn't know how to smile, "Ah, Saleos, is that you?" He asked, waving down someone else.

It was at this moment that she realized just how manipulative this alter ego of Vale could be.

Kuro followed right behind, partly due to the growing fear of being left behind in the crowd, "Surith? I didn't know you'd be able to make it!" The demon, Saleos she guessed, clasped hands with Vale, who wore that same smile that was slowly but surely beginning to get on her nerves, "Are you here for the bids upstairs?"

"Indeed, I hope you don't mind my sister-in-law accompanying us." Vale said, his hands landing square on Kuro's shoulders, making her nearly drop her handbag.

"I don't mind one bit." Saleos grinned, sending her a wink, before leading a way through the crowd. Kuro noticed that most of the demons there seemed to retreat from this new guy, some whispering as they watched the group move through the crowd.

"He's well known amongst the incubi crowd," Vale said, practically dragging Kuro along behind him, his hand gripping hers too tightly it might have begun to turn purple, "Which is why he holds their respect. But, albeit, you can't have everything. He's nearly deaf."

"Well doesn't that just sound convenient?" Kuro murmured, looking around to make sure there was no one to overhear her, before murmuring, "And to think, you can make nice-nice with some nice-nice demons."

"Oh, not in the slightest. He's wanted for the kidnapping of many royal children." Vale murmured, causing Kuro's grip to tighten, "I'm sure that you know of their use, so I won't go into it; but if you think that the common Rifter living on the streets is bad, I hope you're ready for it to get a heck of a lot worse."

Kuro stayed silent, going from cautious to painfully careful, taking in every detail on the guy, unsure when he'd go from funny-looking party goer to insane incubi, "I still don't see how we'll ever get out of this place."

"That's Zagan's part of the plan." Vale said, only to huff when he noticed she didn't get it, "That's right, you got dragged into Shax's closet. Well, Zagan is in charge of planting the tickers-."

"Woah, woah, time out, hold up!" Kuro said, almost a bit too loud. She gave sheepish grins to the ones that could hear her over the music and commotions, before giving Vale a look, "Warn me before you drop a word like that. Damn, dude, have some decency."

Vale gave her a look, before shaking his head, his frown turning into a line of irritation, "I said TICKERS. As in bombs."

"Oh...Okay, that makes a bit more sense." Kuro said sheepishly, before Saleos pulled their attention back to him.

"So, I assume that she's here as a bid." Saleos grinned, giving Vale a small wink.

"Between you and me," Vale murmured, making it just loud enough for Kuro to hear, "I wouldn't mind sharing her, just for a night."

Kuro did what she could to hide her inward cringe, before looking up the stairs. So that's what was waiting up there.

She gulped, shaking her head as she followed Vale up. There was no way that he was actually gonna go through with it, yeah, it had to be all for some sort of act!

...Right?

* * *

"What do you mean, Winter's in there?"

"I mean exactly what I said." Shax sighed from the desk he sat in, the only thing helping him keep calm being the smell of old and worn paper, "More so, I can't go into communication with the team without risk of him tracking us. I can't have the bar compromised."

"As if he wouldn't find us eventually, when you think about it."

"That doesn't mean we should so easily give ourselves over now," Shax murmured, reclining in his chair, before sighing, "Going dark is the best option when it comes to communication with me; you, however, should be fine."

"Yeah, I would maybe get a five-minute head start to dash off with a sniper on my back before they manage to track me down." Abraxas voiced.

To this, Shax smirked. So, his brother still had brain cells left after all, "Which is why you should keep communication over the line to a minimum. I'm more than sure that they will be able to carry it all out without my guidance."

Suddenly, a gasp came from Abraxas' side, "I see Zagan walking out...He's making his way to the meet up point! I thought he was supposed to watch over Kuro!"

"And I'm sure he wouldn't leave without planting the Tickers," Shax deducted, "That means that we only have Vale and Kuro in there."

"WHAT!?" Shax nearly cringed at the tone his brother had used, "No, we need to get them out. This isn't okay, especially if Winter's in there too-."

"Calm yourself, that is no professional way to react to an obstacle." Shax sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Well, sitting in your safe zone while blissfully forgetting how deep we're in isn't a way out either!"

"I'm not 'blissfully forgetting', nor are we going to be looking for a way out." Shax decided, nodding to himself, "We continue with the original plan, Winter or no Winter, Zagan or no Zagan. As long as Vale has to trigger, it will all fall into place."

When his brother said nothing more, Shax looked over all the notes Vale had written, as he held his head up by the chin with his palm.

The plus about using a manual trigger over some magic would be no spilled blood, as well as a lot less exertion on his end. But, as soon as the trigger was used, Vale would have to get rid of it as soon as possible; due to the fact that, to clear up evidence, most triggers are rigged to blow up themselves to avoid leaving behind a trail.

Shax simply shook his head, before standing up to look at all the old scrolls and books behind him. He had a lot of time to kill, might as well see what he could learn.

* * *

 **...Well, with that said, I had an epiphany recently.**

 **I feel like my first shot as writing for Overwatch was a major bust, and something tells me that a lot of you feel the same.**

 **So, with that said, I have a lot of more-or-less scraped material from the story, a lot of Overwatch X Katrina stuff/fluff, I guess you would call it.**

 **And, since I've recently been browsing ArchiveOfOurOwn, and I may or may not be in love with all of the X Reader things.**

 **I can't help it, it's not in my control.**

 **Any who, I've been tossing the idea around and, on my free time, maybe I write a few self-insert one shots, so I'll ask you guys, the viewers.**

 **Should I go for an ArchiveOfOurOwn account?**

 **Leave it in the reviews below!**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I'll cya next chapter!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	22. His Fair Lady, Once covert pt 2

**Hi hi!**

 **Finally finished part 2!**

 **Like everything else in my life, it took me a long time to get it down.**

 **Also, before we start, insert warning here. I mean, at the moment, Kuro is about to be auctioned off for a less then pure reason. And while nothing really happens, if you're uncomfortable with even the idea, skip this chapter.**

 **And with that out of the way, let's move it on!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kuro decided that, as much as the first floor gave her a huge ass headache, she liked it much more then this place.

It was one large open room, with couches set in a circle around what looked to be a decently small glass table/stage. It looked just big enough for maybe two people to stand together. All around the room, there were many red doors in the dark purple wallpaper, with the floor itself cutting off to allow a balcony view of the floor below.

Seated all around, the demons began to speak in hushed whispers among each other. If the demons downstairs were considered rich, these guys seemed to be able to shit money.

Each looked more extravagant than the first, hair pushed and pulled into strange styles, clothing looking as if they had been made for only the richest to buy, since she was sure that pure gold stabled to cloth wasn't a dress code here.

Hell, the accessories these incubi wore looked like they had their own set of accessories.

Once they came by, one of them slowly rose, hands held out as if wanting a hug from an old friend, "Surith, oh, it's so good to see you!" The incubi grinned, teeth looking as if he had then cleaned then filed, before his blue eyes gave Kuro a look over, "And who might this minx be?"

Kuro shuddered at the sound of his voice. She'd take on the kidnapper before this creep any day.

"This is my sister in law, Xenieth." Vale introduced, handing over Kuro's hand as if handing off the bride to the groom.

The analogy almost made Kuro barf in her mouth.

The incubi before her, Nyryth without a doubt, wore what resembled a dark purple toga, the cloth draping over his shoulder and on the floor. His nails were filed into perfectly sharp points, just like his teeth, the only difference being the gold nail polish, "She'll be my offering for the bid."

"Surith, you devil, allowing someone like her to stand in as a bid!" Nyryth grinned, laughing.

To this, Kuro stiffened. Did he already know that there was no way she could fit in? Was all of this a ploy to allow Vale to get rid of her? What should she do? What could she do?

"You know I have a weakness for cat demons." Nyryth winked, before going back over to his chair, entertaining the other special guests.

It was at that moment that Kuro contemplated cutting of the ears, before giving Vale a look, "Wanna explain all of this to me?"

"You really are a dull one, aren't you?" Vale sighed, before leaning over to whisper in her ear, "Shax isn't able to give orders, so as of now, if it hasn't been obvious yet, you will follow what I have to say and do what I tell you to do. Is that understood?"

"Whatever, dad." Kuro hissed.

With a nod and without much of an explanation, Vale lead Kuro over to the others around the couches, most of them greeting him with friendly smiles.

As he sped through formal introductions, Kuro couldn't help but see how Shax and Vale were alike. She was sure that most of these incubi thought of Vale, no, "Surith" as a close friend. She could imagine how many of them had told him dark secrets? Depressing past stories?

Who knew, maybe they'd shared drinks and time with the guy, assuming that there really was no difference between a friend and the deceiver Vale was.

He did this better than she ever could.

"Ah, Heims, there you are!"

At the name, Kuro noticed the split second that Vale froze, his smile nearly turning into a grimace. Kuro noticed it, before turning around.

He'd walked out from one of the doors in the wall, with shoulder-length ice blue hair. His eyes were a bit too captivating, the pools of dark blue threatening to keep her hostage had she not looked away in time. He wore a lapis blue coat over a crisp white dress shirt and cobalt blue dress pants.

Out of the others up here (Kuro made a headcount of four, excluding Nyryth and this guy), he looked the most normal.

Kuro could see Vale whipping out something from his coat pocket, something that looked to be a handkerchief, but he quickly looked up to Kuro, giving her a command via glare.

 _Buy me some time._

Of course, with that said, the first thing that came to mind was to fuck with him. How hard would it be to just move a few inches to the left and let this guy see the tiger demon? It was probably a lot easier than buying time.

But, at the same time, if he got caught, she wouldn't be too far behind…

Without thinking, Kuro "accidentally" walked right into the broad man, doing her best to laugh nervously, which honestly wasn't too hard being that she was barely half his height, "Oh, pardon me, sir." She said with her best succubi accent.

To this, his eyebrow rose, "There is no problem." He said, voice very deep and commanding.

Kuro looked for a way to drag it on a bit longer, "I do apologize, I've yet to formally introduce myself." Kuro said, holding out the hand that wasn't holding her bag, "I'm Xenieth Vilinelin."

"Malmar Hiems." He said, shaking her hand formally. During said time, it took a lot of effort not to stare at how big his hand was. He was smaller than Zagan, no doubt, but that didn't mean that he wasn't intimidating, "Most here call me Winter."

"Ah, where did you run off to, Heims?" Nyryth asked, coming over with a large grin on his face, "I see you've met Xenieth."

"Surely we can skip formalities and go down to business." Winter sighed. As much as he tried to hide it, Kuro could tell that he wanted to be anywhere but here.

Hell, she was feeling the same.

But the way he stated his response, and that uneasy look Nyryth had on his face, for just a moment, it wasn't hard to tell that something was up.

Finally, Nyryth shook his head, "We can talk about that after the bids. But first, you must meet Surith!"

Kuro held her breathe for a moment, as Nyryth lead Winter over to Vale, who was furiously rubbing that tiny purple piece of cloth all over his face, "This is him! Surith, this is Hiems, the one I speak so highly of!"

Finally, Vale put the handkerchief back into his pocket, doing his best to keep a stone face, before reaching out to grab Winter's extended hand, "the famous Winter himself. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Kuro waited for...Well, she didn't really know. Maybe she waited for the recognition to settle in, or maybe for the doors to come down and ninjas to jump out, but after the greeting, Nyryth announced the beginning of the auction.

"What was that all about?" Kuro asked, as Vale took her hand and lead her to the couches, "You're over there panicking for no reason, only to have the guy not even remember you."

"It will be explained later." Vale murmured, whispering quietly, "For now, listen to me. You'll be a bid, meaning that they'll be putting money on you to buy you and…Well, I'm sure you know where it'll go from there."

"Are you mad!?" Kuro whispered screamed, a half-horrid half-irritated look on her face, "Why wasn't this explained?"

"Maybe it would be if you could stop asking questions for just a second." Vale growled, before sitting down, Kuro right next to him, "You're going to be the second one to go up. Knowing Nyryth, he'll bid his highest on you. While you're with him, you're going to do what you can to find out what Kroni wants done, or where he plans to go and be next. We can go from there."

"You expect me to just...You know!?" Kuro said, unable to bring herself to even speak of it.

"Of course not," Vale murmured, watching as Nyryth went up to the middle, before quickly whispering, "I'll give you fifteen minutes. Once you hear an explosion, we'll need to move. In the event that you have to set it off, do keep in mind that the trigger will explode within seconds of taking your finger off, acting like a mini-grenade."

He didn't even wait to ask and see if Kuro understood, before turning his attention to the incubi in the purple dress-not-dress.

"I thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to come by." He said, his voice dripping with charisma, "Of course, I'm sure that you'd want to stay nowhere else when it comes to the parties we throw."

That statement earned a chuckle that was lost to Kuro. There was no joke, no punchline, what did he do to warrant such a reaction?

Even in the Rift, rich people were weird.

Nyryth then stepped down, allowing that guy from before, the deaf one, to step up and begin what Kuro assumed to be the main event.

"First we have bid #1." Saleos said, stepping to the side so that some succubi could walk up, showing off what skin wasn't covered, which was a lot considering she wasn't wearing much.

Hell, two belts would have covered up more.

While the lust-induced demons went on, Kuro noticed how Vale did what he could to hide how uneasy he was, a feeling she shared with him, for once.

She knew little to nothing on this Winter guy, but if it was enough to make someone like Vale agitated, he had to have done something big and messed up. Maybe she could ask about him later, if the need ever arose again.

She tried to read what she could from the big man, which really wasn't much. He sat in his chair with one leg over the other, his straight posture regal and nothing less. He looked like a noble, when she really thought about it, and acted like one as well.

"If the lovely bid #2 would be so kindly as to step up now."

At the number, Vale nudged Kuro's arm, who chuckled awkwardly, slowly standing up. This shouldn't be too hard, she'd had to do and act out much worse. Maybe it was because this was just a new category, she thought as she walked to the middle of the room, accepting Saleos' hand up onto the tiny stage/table, "This one is a rare specimen, not many cat demons left out there, making her quite the steal."

Kuro gulped, for once not finding it too difficult to play the part of the shy and slightly awkward young lady, as it was so often put.

They began to place money on her, see how much she'd be worth. She listened to the first few bids, only to scoff. She couldn't help but wonder how many would end up dead by the time this whole thing was over. Or no, maybe someone would pull the rug from underneath her and Vale. You could never know what someone else may have up their sleeve, especially when it came to the Rift.

Even more so when it came to her new line of work.

She held her bag tighter when Saleos finally grinned, "Congratulations to you, Nyryth, for winning her over!"

A small and courteous round of applause went through the room, before Nyryth stood before her, hand held out for her to take.

She (unwillingly and uncomfortably) did so, before taking a seat next to the incubi.

If just sitting next to him made he uneasy, how was she supposed to get information out of him?

Knowing she was on a time crunch, her mind raced, trying to find a way out of this, before an idea came to mind.

"Excuse me, sir?" Kuro said quietly, gaining Nyryth's attention.

"Is something wrong, sweet cheeks?"

It took a lot of willpower to make sure that she didn't barf up what food she'd managed to steal from Abraxas before going on, "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd really love to see what is inside one of those private rooms."

Nyryth seemed to understand, before quickly standing up, excusing himself while leading Kuro to one of the doors.

Once he opened one, she had one more chance to look over her shoulder at Vale, who mouthed two words.

 _"Be careful."_

While he may be an asshole, it felt a tiny bit nice to know that there was a chance that he was just a bit worried about your general welfare. That, or maybe he wanted to see what would happen and was simply curious.

And, of course, you couldn't count out the fact that Vale was basically forcing her into auction-based prostitution.

In a way.

Either way, she quickly shot him a middle finger once she was sure no one else was looking, before walking into the room.

She was surprised when she heard something that almost sounded like a laugh, but it also sounded like it came from...No, it wasn't possible for Vale to make such a sound.

Nevertheless, Kuro stepped in, the door closing behind her.

* * *

There was too much red and dark pink.

The bed in the middle had a sort of Arabic feel to it with the drapes, the walls looking to be covered in the same material.

Just as Kuro hoped, there was a nice golden bottle sitting at the nightstand, as well as two fancy glasses.

Now, to get down to businasty.

"I don't mean to be rude!" Kuro murmured, averting her eyes when it looked like he was about to take off the toga, before grabbing the bottle, "I hope you don't mind, I've been looking for a reason to drink a lil' something."

"Oh, of course." Nyryth grinned, taking the bottle from her, as well as one of the glasses, pouring himself a rather generous amount of the dark red liquid, before throwing it all back down his throat.

Just as she hoped, he seemed to be quite fond of his drinks.

Kuro took a sniff, making sure that no one had thought ahead to slip in anything, before taking a tiny sip. Maybe she was just use to the crap that they served at Shax's bar, but this rich wine really wasn't doing her any favors.

Once the entire bottle was gone, Kuro did all she could to keep his hands off of her. At least, in what she assumed to be his drunken haze, he'd be easier to subdue if it came down to a fight.

"So, baby, how you wanna do this?" Nyryth asked, a small hiccup in his voice.

"Umm, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get to know you, just a bit more." Kuro said sheepishly, knowing where she wanted to get, but not entirely sure how to get there, "I've heard stories of the great Nyryth."

"Oh, have ya, sweet cheeks?" Nyryth grinned, giving her a look. The longer he stared at her, the more she ached for the very special backup tool in her bag.

Not that she'd really be able to use it before acquiring what they needed, but the thought helped.

"I'm a bit curious, I guess you could say." Kuro smiled shyly, the only thing helping to keep her facade being the idea of beating Vale's face in after this, "You must work very hard to be able to live a lavish life out here in the Rift."

Next time, they send in Abraxas in a dress.

"I guess you could say that," Nyryth said, eyes looking misty. He swayed slightly from side to side, "I work with a rather powerful crowd, I guess you could say."

"Is that so?" Kuro asked, slowly moving to the side when Nyryth began to noticeably lean towards her, "I've been looking for a better type of job, if you could provide me some names, maybe I could do what I could to help?"

Kuro mentally gagged, a finger right under her lip as she tried her best to look cute and innocent.

That seemed to be enough, before Nyryth grinned, waving his hand off, "Well, anything to see you in the near future, sweet cheeks." His grinned, before leaning in closer, "But I'm sure that can wait until after our fun."

To this, Kuro cringed. No, she was so damn close, she just needed to know what was going down, she didn't get this far just to be...Ugh, she didn't want to say it.

In her sudden fit of rage, she pushed him down, pinning him. Her hands grabbed his wrists, legs holding down his at the knees, face a bit too close, being how she could smell the wine on his breathe, "I want names and plans. Now."

Thank Satan that he was intoxicated, or she was sure that Nyryth would call in someone for help. Instead, he giggled, "Oh, feisty I see. Okay, I'll give you what you want, only if you promise to pick this up where you last left it."

Kuro coughed, nodding, "Sure thing...Baby."

Just that seemed to be enough to get his drunken mind to comply with everything, before Nyryth grinned, "Well, if you gotta know, a lot of what I've got comes from my boss dude, Kroni."

Based on his slurred speech, Kuro assumed that she'd have a few more minutes before his mind went from the information she needed to use some other undesirable ideas.

"Heh, you'd be surprised." Nyryth boasted, as he tried to drink from the dry bottle, "I happen to work with the big leagues themselves, Hiems, Skinner, Kroni; they're all in on it."

"But what is it that they're trying to get?" Kuro asked, "What's the end goal here?"

"I don't know yet," Nyryth burped, giggling as he slowly laid back, looking more like a confused happy toddler then an incubi, "Kroni won't spill. All I know is that it's going to be big, and it's going down in Ahiania. Abeyance."

Kuro couldn't help but inwardly cheer and whoop, having finally gotten what she needed, only to have her spirits dropped. She got what she needed, now how would she get out?

Thankfully, someone out there decided for her.

The two jumped, an explosion going off outside, "Wha?" Was all Nyryth murmured, slumping to the ground once his foot left the bed, knocking out cold.

Well, Kuro thought, grabbing what she needed before going for the door, at least she got what she needed.

* * *

Outside was chaos.

There was no one else out on the terrace of the second floor, but the first floor was a mess. Everyone was dashing about, looking like they were searching for a way out. When Kuro focused on it, it looked like the hotel entrance had caved in, trapping everyone inside.

Kuro couldn't help but cringe. She knew that morality wasn't a strong point for any demon, especially when it came to her new group of friends, but this, in her opinion, was a bit much just to get the drop on some guy.

Even if said guy was Kroni himself.

She was about to make it out of the building, only to have something in her mind click. Even if it felt like hours, she had only been in the room for about four minutes, five at most. Vale wasn't supposed to set off the explosions yet.

Even with that said, Vale should have been out here by now, where was he?

Kuro nearly jumped when a loud thump sounded from behind a random door, kicking and screaming from behind.

Without thinking, Kuro rushed over, kicking down the door, a hand in her bag.

Vale was on the ground, a hand holding his forehead, while Saleos stood over him, the ticker trigger in one hand and a gun in the other, a wild look in his eye.

Saleos went from Vale to looking Kuro over, "You're both with Yoru!" He scowled, gun waving from the both of them.

Kuro took a side glance over to Vale, who was still on the ground, holding his hand over a gash on his face, eyes narrowed, "Saleos, are you willing to throw away our friendship over something as small as the assumption of-?"

"No, you won't entice me with pretty words twice." Saleos scowled, yet Kuro could see it. Vale must have set some pretty deep roots, since the demon looked like he was beginning to doubt himself, unsure if the demon was a true friend or not.

Vale scowled, moving to take the same handkerchief out of his pocket, presumably to wipe off the blood dripping from his forehead, only to have Saleos growl, "I knew it; drop the cloth."

Vale cursed under his breath, before tossing it to the side, looking more than irritated.

Saleos bent down, eyes kept on Kuro, who didn't dare to move, as he picked it up, looking it over, "To think that someone like you would have a piece of the original façade shawl. Your employer must supply you well."

Kuro didn't ask, ignoring the burning curiosity before sizing the demon up. With the way he held himself, it was clear to see that the only reason he might have been intimidating would be because of the gun he held. All in all, he looked broken, unsure what he'd do next.

Kuro's hand went behind her back, gripping the hilt of her personal knife as she did so.

She then noticed his other hand, finger still plugged down on the trigger. She didn't remember it perfectly, but it was stuck in the back of her head about how she should make sure that she threw the trigger after use, but why?

It must have been something bad if her crack-riddled mind chose to remember that tid bit of information.

Abraxas had hidden it under some of the folds of the dress, insisting that two weapons are always better than one.

If she could just time it right…

Once Saleos' gaze went from Vale to the door, Kuro struck. She threw the knife out, the blade becoming embedded in the wall behind Saleos, inches away from his face.

Stuck in his sudden stupor, Kuro rushed him, ducking when he fired, before kicking the hand holding the trigger.

She had assumed that, from something so small, the impending explosion wouldn't be that bad. At worse, she assumed that it would be enough to leave a scorch mark or less.

She didn't expect the force of the blast to throw her at the door, breath knocked out of her lungs, as she slide down, a bit dizzy.

Judging by the thud on the other side of the room, it didn't look like the trigger did Saleos any favors either.

Kuro did her best to shake off her headache, which really did everything but help, before walking over to Vale, who had just finished putting his handkerchief- or whatever it was back into his pocket.

Kuro helped his up, wincing at all the blood on his face, "My dude, Zuko just called, he's irritated you stole his look without needing the fire treatment."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but whatever it was, I'm sure that it was a stretch." Vale grumbled, before pressing down on his earpiece, "Thanks for the warning."

 _"In my defense, I didn't think that you'd want me to look into a room you willingly decided to enter with an incubi."_

As tense as it felt in the building, Kuro couldn't help but laugh lightly. At least Abraxas knew how to lighten the mood, "If you think that something as stupid as that is a good reason, you have another think coming."

 _"Alright, jeez, calm down, Sherlock. I had to move positions, saw a few men with Winter walking out the back, could have sworn they saw me."_

"What!? Did they move to intercept you?" Vale said, for once sounding a bit alarmed. It almost fit in with all the screaming that was still going on down in the first floor.

 _"I'm not sure, I was moving before I could see, but I don't think so."_ Kuro could hear, from her earpiece, the sound of Abraxas doing something between a sneeze and a sort of audible scowl, _"Anywho, I'd suggest leaving through that exit in the back, or a window. A window wouldn't be much of a bad idea."_

"Right." Vale murmured, about to push the door open, only to have his eyes widen, "Get down!"

Kuro didn't have any time to bicker with him, as she was shoved to the ground, a bullet flying over her head.

What happened next was like a blur.

While on the floor, she rolled to her knees, ripping open her bag. She watched as Saleos made a grab for Vale, managing to trip him, Vale falling to the ground.

As Kuro pulled the cool metal out of her bag, the grip feeling unnaturally warm for some reason, before taking aim.

After that, she kept pulling the trigger. She kept pulling it long after Saleos fell, his body twitching from pain, the bullets, or both.

She only stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, whipping around to give Vale a look. Said demon jolted, just a tiny bit, before taking the gun from her hands, "It's done, he's dead." Vale said calmly, which helped to calm her down, allowing her to let the breath the didn't know she was keeping in out, "We got what we needed, now we need to leave. It'll be a matter of minutes before they have a group come in. We will get caught if we stay, we need to move."

 _"Hey, Kit Kat? Come on, snap out of it."_ It was so odd, she could hear Abraxas, but at the same time, she couldn't really make out what he was trying to say.

Finally, Kuro shook her head, a hand pinching the bridge of her nose, before waving Vale off, "Quite pretending you care, I'm fine." She murmured, willing the ringing in her ears to go away, before looking over to the only window in the room, "Well, at least we don't have to use the front door." She smirked, retrieving her knife before slamming the bottom of the hilt into the glass.

A few more hits, and the cracks finally gave in, shattered glass hitting the ground a story below.

She gave the room one last look, staring at the red hole in Saleos' forehead, as well as the red pool that had begun to accumulate, before hopping out the window.

* * *

The moment the two of them got back, Shax was clearing up the bar counter, Abraxas and Zagan already there.

"Took you two long enough." Shax murmured, looking the two of them over, before wordlessly handing Vale the towel, who took it and began to clean his face from the now dried blood on his face, "I've had to keep a front for a while now, keeping those doors open for the two of you."

"I do apologize," Vale said, the tiniest bit of disdain in his tone. Kuro would have felt a little defensive for Shax, had it not been for the upwards tug on the line that was the bartender's mouth, "Next time, we'll do our best to work within your regulated schedule."

"Nothing less would be expected from someone as impeccable as you are on a systematically basis."

"Only you could make that sound like a good thing, fearless leader."

Once inside the room, Zagan moved to close the door, before leaning on it casually, as to make sure that no one would come in or get out.

"With that all out of the way," Shax murmured, sitting down at the meeting table. Today it was a chaotic mess of papers and maps, just as it had been before they'd left, "Did we get what we needed?"

For a moment, there was silence, before Vale elbowed her, causing her to speak, "Oh, my bad, I'm just so use to Vale usually answering that question."

"That just shows that we have you here for every other reason but your intellect." Abraxas teased, taking a seat to Shax's left, Vale sitting to the right, as per usual, "Hell, you can literally be anything but the brains."

"Oh, like you'd be any better." Kuro scowled, unsure why Abraxas was choosing now to bother her about something as stupid as this.

She didn't notice that almost unnatural calculating expression that the follower of Gluttony held, "Don't scowl. If you do it often enough, your face will freeze up like that."

"Like it would bother you." Kuro said, giving him one last glare as they all walked into the meeting room, before shooting him a cheeky grin, "I'd still be prettier than you."

To that smile, Abraxas looked as if he was trying not to sigh in relief, but it was quickly taken off of Kuro's mind when Shax cleared his throat, taking a seat at the front of the table, "So, if you'd please?"

Kuro then quickly went over what Nyryth had said, trying not to cringe from the memory that had been a bit too fresh to go ahead and laugh over.

"I heard gunshots," Abraxas finally pointed out, once Kuro was done, "Those were from you two?"

"Was there a fatality?" Shax pressed.

What Vale said was something she never thought she'd hear.

"That would be my fault."

Kuro could have sworn that she was hearing otherwise, or maybe there was some sort of toxic gas in that hotel she'd breathed in, but he kept going on, looking as stone-faced as usual, "I wanted to see what it could get out of Saleos, but things...got out of hand. He acquired my gun, and things spun out of control from there."

"Which explains the condition and state of your face." Shax murmured, turning to Kuro, "So it was you who shot the gun?"

"One shot. To the face." Kuro said, before making a finger gun and blowing over the top of it, playing it off in her own little fashion.

As if that was all Shax needed to know, he went on, "So, Nyryth's exact words were Ahiania Abeyance?"

"Technically, he said, and I quote, 'All I know is that it's going to be big, and it's going down in Ahiania. Abeyance'."

"And that is where we run into our first problem." Vale murmured, looking over what appeared to be a map, "There is nowhere in the Rift that is called Ahiania Abeyance."

"Oh…" Kuro murmured, scanning her head for ideas, before snapping her fingers, "What about within the capitol? There could be some gathering place with that name, like a square or something."

"Nothing there either." Shax frowned, looking over the same map as Vale, "Besides, even if there was, it wouldn't be a smart move to head into the capitol for Rifter business. They'd get caught within seconds."

"Unless they were us!" Abraxas grinned, popping open a bottle, "They don't have the technique and skill that we use when we're offing officials."

"You sit on your ass on the top of some tower and wait." Zagan deadpanned.

"Hey, don't you go around believing that it's easy to just sit in one place for too long!" Abraxas grumbled, taking a long sip, before going on, "It's boring."

"Back to the problem at hand, gents." Shax murmured, before pulling off of the map, "It has to be within Hell, but it's not in the Rift or the capitol."

All the while, Kuro drummed her fingers on the table, looking confused and bored, "Umm, can I ask a stupid question?"

"No."

"I wasn't asking you, cantankerous one." Kuro scowled, before going on, "When it comes to that name, it seems like it's a pretty long title for some place, right?"

"It's really not."

"Can it, Abra Ka Dabra." Kuro glowered, before clearing her throat, "Going on, since most places here have other meanings in other languages, what do you think Abeyance means?"

The quiet almost made Kuro grin. She didn't expect an answer from her stupid question, it was just meant to ease the growing tension in the room.

But, instead, once again, Vale looked up at her and said more words she never thought she'd hear from him.

"Kuro, you're a genius."

"...Huh?"

"That's a code word." Shax murmured, looking about the maps, before shaking his head, "It's not within the Rift. Zagan, get me the maps of Limbo."

"Where is that?" Kuro asked, watching the brute lumber off to the side of the room, looking through the rather filled bookshelf she hadn't noticed until now, possibly due to the fact that she wasn't the most literate. Also, it blended in with the wall, "Last I checked, there aren't any cities named 'Limbo'."

"...Forget what I said earlier." Vale murmured to himself, as Zagan grabbed a map, "But, either way, you just gave us the answer we were looking for. You just gave us the answer. Abeyance means to be held or kept in suspension. Where else in hell are demons and souls kept in holding or waiting?"

"Well that's easy, in Purgatory." Kuro stated, before it clicked, "Oh, my bad. I heard Limbo and thought of the stupid dance-game thingy."

"Ahiania, to be precise." Shax corrected, laying out the map that Zagan had retrieved, before grabbing a pen, circling one part of the map, "That's where it'll be, whatever it is."

"Winter throws a wrench into the plans and idea." Vale scowled, eyebrows showing how irritated and confused he was, "At first I assumed a meeting with Kroni's team would lead to some sort of weapons dealing, but if Winter is involved…"

"It's that much more important that they do not enter or complete any type of transaction." Shax murmured, deep in thought as he looked over everything, before turning to face Kuro, "Did Nyryth say anything else?"

"Nope." Kuro said, before shivering, "Well, nothing that you'd want to hear come out of my mouth."

"Respectable." Shax murmured, before going back to making sense of the notes before him with Vale.

When Zagan left to do some recon, it was then that it hit her.

She'd heard all about butcher's remorse, as she kindly put it, from humans during her short-lived contracts, each being more boring than the last.

It was always the same idea; kill this guy or find this person, and boom, easy soul.

But she'd never killed another demon before.

She went through what she was dubbing assassin's lunacy, that mixed feeling of not wanting/being able to stop and feeling empowered, but once that faded, she felt no different from any other day in her life.

She had assumed she felt nothing due to the adrenaline, or maybe it was simple as the whole situation going over too quickly, but now that the danger had passed, she realized that she felt no remorse. If anything, it was the exact opposite from remorse.

She felt almost blissful.

It was otherworldly, now that she thought it over, to take a demon's life. A being that seemed to have no weaknesses, killed by someone they never really saw coming.

She now wondered why she never went this far back then, only to shake her head.

It was definitely because she couldn't get her hands on the right gun and bullets.

All the while, Abraxas watched from afar, the only one out of the three to notice the small almost psychotic giggles that left her mouth, the way her eyes were a bit too wide and her fingers were twitching.

She was going through a sort of high, something he understood since it was the same for him and his first kill.

A small smirk played over his lips, looking over to make sure that Shax and Vale were invested in the notes and information they'd gathered, before leaving the room.

While he was happy that the kill hadn't broken her, it would have been a pain to look for someone else to see this all the way through, it was a bit more than pleasing to see that she seemed to enjoy it.

That was the type of mentality you needed to be a sniper for this team, and he was more than happy to step down.

When the time was right.

* * *

 **For the record, when I was writing this up, it didn't seem like that long of a chapter...**

 **...Whoops.**

 **Can't wait for the next chapter, finally gonna get some of that much needed Corvus and Kuro fluff. Of course, I'm not much good at writing fluff, so this could also be the most awkward chapter yet.**

 **Either way, much fun for someone!**

 **Any who, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to leave a review, and I'll cya guys next chapter!**

 **Till next time, bai bai!**


	23. His Fair Lady, Slowly but Surely

**Hi hi!**

 **You know, the farther I go on with this story, the more it kinda feels like a demonic Beauty and the Beast story.**

 **Who knows, maybe I'll add in a little musical when all of her stuff comes to life, because why the hell not?**

 **Amy: You know, I've seen you create a lot of weird stuff, but that is definitely going to make it to the list of the oddest of the odd.**

 **Me: Shut up and fight me, Amy.**

 **Amy: Any day, any stage.**

 **Erin: Ha, you make it sound like you can actually do a throw down. Hilarious.**

 **Amy: At least I know how to fight, all you do is panic and start throwing fireballs.**

 **Erin: It's better then pretending to be Katara over there in your corner.**

 **Me: See, this is why I stopped inviting you two over, it always begins and ends with the two of you and your trash talk.**

 **Amy: It's better then "Look, I'm emo and I can control shadows. Oh, and I hear voices in my head".**

 **Lilith:...**

 **Amy: At least we're good fun.**

 **Erin: Only difference between the two of us is that one of us is good to have around, the other is kinda what's left.**

 **Amy: Exactly. And being how I came first, you must be what's left.**

 **Erin: No worries, at least the mistakes were corrected and learned from you; so thanks, I guess.**

 **Me: I'm done, both of you shut up, I've stalled this chapter for long enough.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Finally finding her room, Kuro flopped onto the bed, mentally taxed.

Once she left that meeting, it was like a hot spike being removed. She didn't realize how much tension she was under until it was removed.

But, now that she was here, she could enjoy some sweet relaxing silence-

Kuro jumped when the door was slammed open, only to groan. So much for some sweet relaxation time.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes, only to jump back a bit, startled. Corvus stood there, looking fairly very drained and disoriented, "Hey, you okay?"

Corvus didn't answer, only moving to sit down next to her on the bed, silent.

"Okay, while the silence is nice, you don't look too good." Kuro went on, seeing what she needed to do to elicit any sort of response, "Do you want me to call in a nurse? Get you some Amarix, or a drink? I don't know what you royals need to feel better...I know, want me to get some sort of child blood sacrifice for ya?"

Corvus was silent for a bit longer, Kuro close to speaking up once more, only to have him murmur, "I am fine...Just thinking."

"You positive, Prince bird brain?" Kuro asked, masking her concern by acting stupid, poking the side of his head, "I don't remember everything after the explosion, but I know that a ticker has some bad side effects on a demon."

"And it hasn't affected you?" Corvus asked. Kuro nearly laughed, he almost sounded worried.

"Nah, I know what to do and how to avoid it best I can." Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "They fill and power those things with holy water. Nasty stuff. And then, if that's not bad enough, they go on and add a whole lot of other things to go ahead and weaponize it more, as if scarred and blistered skin wasn't bad enough."

When Corvus didn't speak, Kuro was tempted to go on, only to stop. She was no Master of the Corvus or anything, she didn't know every little thing about the guy, but even then, she could tell when something was wrong.

And boy howdy was something very wrong at the given moment.

For as much of a self-absorbed prick as he could be, Kuro couldn't help but feel a bit concerned and almost sorry for him. He could be an ass at times, there was no doubt about it, but he also seemed to be trying in his own way. Not to mention that he was slowly becoming a bit more...open? She didn't know, relationships were a first, forced relationships being something she hoped that she'd never have to touch.

His eyes looked tired, but more emotionally and mentally than physically. He kept pulling at his fingers in the same fashion as she twisted her ring, as if he was also unsure where his hands should go. Even his expression seemed to be at odds with itself, his mouth the same straight line as Shax while his eyebrows were pushed together almost angrily like Vale.

...And now she couldn't get the picture of their face fusion out of her head.

Finally, he said something, his sudden voice nearly making Kuro jump, "Are you free at the moment?"

"Well, technically no, but I gotta say, a castle for a prison isn't a bad setup." Kuro said, almost sadistically. She waited for him to ignore her comment and go on, as he normally would have, only to become even more confused when she saw him cringe, just a tiny bit, as if uncomfortable with her response.

Jeez, maybe that ticker really did a number on him.

The two sat there in silence, every passing second slowly but surely becoming a bit too much for Kuro. Usually it was awkward, but at least she'd have something to concentrate on, like constantly trying to dodge Corvus' "affection". Finally, it became a bit too much.

"...Look...I'm super tired, and it's kinda late." Kuro murmured, making her yawn look as big and obvious as demonly possible, "I'm gonna get some shut eye."

"Yes, of course." Corvus murmured, as Kuro crawled back under the blankets, making herself comfortable, "Goodnight."

"Night." Kuro yawned, trying to lull herself back into that tired-sleepy trance she was in earlier.

She slowly but surely got there, with one thought on her mind right before she went to sleep.

He wasn't trying to hold her.

...What was wrong with the guy?

* * *

She was woken up not be what felt like forced cuddling, but rather a gentle yet firm shake, "Kit-erm, Kuro?"

Kuro mumbled something, she herself wasn't too sure, but she assumed it was something along the lines of either "What?" or "Fuck off, I'm trying to sleep".

Finally, when she did roll over and open her eyes, Corvus still in bed next to her, looking off out the window. Now it was even harder for her to read what he was thinking.

It was as if a night's worth of sleep did little to nothing to help him. He looked just as, for lack of better word, jumpy. His eyes were the only thing that held place, as his fingers fiddled with each other.

He was an almost completely different person.

And that realization was slowly getting to her.

Finally, Kuro sat up, rubbing her eyes as she yawned, "Good morning?" She tried. It really unsettled her, she'd dealt with a lot of demons that had to be silenced and ended up being jumpy like this.

You couldn't tell what they were planning, like a cornered animal. One moment, they could snap, no pattern, no logic.

Kuro really hoped that Corvus wasn't that kind of nervous.

"Good morning." Corvus murmured, giving her a small smile, before rising up off the bed. For a second there, he almost looked like his old self, shit-eating smile, that sort of "I-wonder-what-I-can-get-out-of-you" twinkle in his eyes.

The two sat there, Kuro wondering if she'd have to make up some bullshit excuse to get her out of this, only to have Corvus clear his throat, "I know that it seems a bit rushed, and I had meant to ask you last night, but you were sleepy."

"Guilty." Kuro added, waiting for him to ask. Even if he was out of it, his tone and his body language suggested that he wanted something, but the way that he kept pulling at his fingers made it obvious that he was agitated, almost like he was...ashamed of something.

"I was wondering...If you're free...Would it be alright for me to take you out?"

Kuro did what she could not to look too baffled, "...Like a date?"

"Like a date."

She felt as if dating PTSD was settling in, ready to turn him down, only to get another good look at him. He just looked so pathetic, and that was putting it kindly. It was like trying to say no to a begging dog.

"...I don't see why not. Where?"

"I, umm, can't tell you that."

"...Oh."

She hated the uncomfortable reticence that seemed so fond of the two as of late, the both of them unable to look each other in the eye, before Corvus suddenly stood. For once, Kuro noticed, he had a shirt and a pair of shorts on, "I'll be off to make sure that preparations are ready. Would you be okay with leaving within the next hour?"

Kuro nodded, silently sliding out of the bed while Corvus walked over to the door of the room, disappearing behind it.

An hour or so to herself once meant that she had an hour more to sleep. One more hour to just be a lazy lump of cat demon, and nothing more.

It almost scared her how her autopilot had changed from slumping back into bed to actually getting up and getting ready for the day.

It was only now she realized that she'd taken a huge jump. Usually she'd never wake up before the sun got up, and even than she'd wait in bed or whatever she fell asleep on until the red sun was at its brightest.

Looking out the window, she noticed that it was still fairly dim, which made her scowl, just a bit.

Where had the time gone?

She chuckled, opening up the dresser door as she did so. The question itself was enough to make anyone felt old, she thought as she looked through her choices, but it made her feel a different kind of old. It was a word that decided to allude her at the moment, much to her slight and childish irritation.

She finally decided on what looked to be a short and light blue dress, a thick dark blue ribbon around her waist to hold it in place.

As she changed, not needing to have to feel cramped in the (rather spacious) bathroom, she couldn't help but think on. In a way, it was the only fun thing to do when she was alone and unbothered, for the most part.

Too much had happened recently, the span of her being here had to be maybe just over a week, tops. It's been a tough ride, and something tells her that it's far from over.

One she had it on, she looked herself over in the mirror, before scowling slightly. Her hair had never looked too good short, but it was getting to the point where it was too close to her mid-calf.

Mental note to self: get that hair cut later.

Being as it was naturally curly, getting it tied back was a challenge, but she managed. The person in the mirror now looked nothing like she'd ever look. The demon in the mirror looked almost royal, almost perfect. The only thing that really helped her to stand out was the ludicrous smile, as well as an almost malevolent glint in her eyes.

In a way, she almost looked like that science guy, Cresil.

Or, more so, he almost looked like her…?

Shaking her head, she gave her reflection a look, "You're thinking too deep into this, you're going to go insane like bird brain soon."

"But I think that we can both agree that we've crossed the line of batshit crazy," Her reflection answered, shooting her an all too familiar grin, "This isn't the first time you've come to talk to me."

"Well, I haven't had much alone time to do so." Kuro shrugged, giving the mirror a small grin, "Don't worry, buddy; I haven't forgotten about you."

"I'd hope not, I am you, after all." the reflection smirked right back, "If I go mad, that means that you'll do the same, as like you said already, there's something up with the crow."

"Tell me about it." Kuro laughed lightly, her hands playing with the ribbon of her dress, the cat demon behind the glass doing the same, "I don't know what it is though, and that's starting to bug me, a lot."

"That's understandable, we've always hated not understanding something." The reflection agreed, before putting one hand under her skin, an action Kuro soon copied, "The question from here is how will we manage to discern?"

"Woah now, buddy; that's a big word." Kuro laughed lightly.

"How is it a 'big' word? It's only seven letters thrown together."

"True that, but so is the word flummox."

"...What?"

"Exactly."

Kuro's head whipped away from the mirror when a knock came to the door, about to open it, before shooting her reflection with finger guns, "still as wonderfully weird as ever." She grinned, before walking over to open the door.

While he wasn't as dressed up as he normally would have been, but it was still more formal then she'd ever want to go. Instead of his usual black dress coat, he only wore a light grey dress shirt, khaki dress pants, and his feet were, surprisingly, bare.

"You look lovely." Corvus said, offering a small smile, before walking into the room, "Your hair looks nice when it is held up."

"Umm...thanks?" Kuro said, making it sound more like a question then an actual expression of gratitude.

When he walked by, Kuro couldn't help but eye the two long slits going down the back of what looked to be a fresh dress shirt, one over each shoulder blade. If Corvus was anything, it was a near perfectionist, so why would he ever agree to wear something that looked like it was stolen from a Rifter?

Corvus didn't seem to notice, both the answer andthe staring, as he walked over to the balcony, taking something small out of his pocket, before looking it over, "We still have a bit of time before the preparations fall into place." Corvus murmured, sounding more like he was talking to himself then her.

But hey, Kuro knew better then to ask. Sometimes the best person to talk to is yourself.

He then turned to her, his expression one she'd never seen on his face. Was it...embarrassment? No, it couldn't be, at least, that wasn't the only thing on his face, "I'd like to apologize for our, umm, first date." Corvus said, almost sheepish, "I was only thinking about what I assumed most demon women wanted, and for that, I would like to try and make it up to you."

"You really don't have to." Kuro said, all the red alarms in her head going off. She didn't like dates, and from last time, she was sure that she'd be too traumatized to ever want to go out with the other gender, even if just for fun.

"No, I must insist." Corvus said, his smile probably meant to help ease her into the idea, but there was something that made it almost...predatory?

"Whatever." The word had made it out of her mouth before she even had time to think it over, "But if at any moment I don't agree, you will take me back here."

It proved how far she was gone when she realized how this place was probably the safest area to be when it came to being around the Crow.

"And not a second later." Corvus insisted, looking over his pocket watch once more, before nodding his head, "Alright, I'm pretty sure that the guards have ended their routine by now."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kuro asked, as Corvus threw open the balcony doors, a harsh humid breeze coming in.

"That's not for you to worry about." Corvus murmured, looking over the side, before he turned to her, his hand held out, a silent command/request for her hand.

Kuro walked over, taking it, before giving him a look, "...What are you on?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The hell did you snort, my dude?" Kuro asked, giving him a goofy grin, "And, if you're okay with sharing, I like."

"I'm not on drugs, dear-Kuro." Corvus said, a small smile on his face, before his two black wings unfurled from his back, the shadowing making her almost cringe.

The way that his wings blocked out the red sun, his eyes looked a bit more...evil, then usual. While it wasn't much, nor was it even for too long, Kuro couldn't help but take a step back for a second.

Corvus seemed to take notice, as his soft smile fell, "Is something wrong?"

"Nah, it's nothing." Kuro said, doing all she could to shake off the feeling. She'd faced worse before, surely an angry demon prince wouldn't be too bad to deal with, "So, you wanna tell me where we're going?"

"That's the surprise." Corvus murmured, before picking her up bridal style. Kuro yelped, she hated flying air Corvus.

"So, nothing? Not even a small clue?" Kuro asked, trying to ignore how Corvus took one step up, standing on the rail of the balcony.

"Just know that it is somewhere that you'll enjoy. I hope." Corvus said, saying the last part under his breath.

Before Kuro could verbally ask what that last part was supposed to mean, Corvus stepped out onto open air.

Maybe he did it to see what Kuro's reaction would be, because for a few moments, he didn't make any attempt to fly. To this, Kuro made wild grabs at Corvus' dress shirt, the ground coming up a bit too close a bit too quickly, "DO YOU PLAN TO BECOME ROYAL PASTE OUTSIDE THE CASTLE!?"

To this, Corvus laughed, before finally giving a good strong flap down, the sudden change in acceleration making her yelp, once again grabbing at him tightly, "Where is your usual attitude? The one where you laugh in the face of danger?"

"USUALLY I HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER SAID DANGER!" Kuro shouted, half tempted to bite him, only to shake her head. She didn't want to invite any of that behavior, especially not when he had to concentrate on flying.

She instead opted for covering her face, burying it into his chest, as she tried to imagine land, something stable, anything but open air.

"There's no need for that," Corvus gently urged, nudging her with his shoulder, "It's a very nice view."

"It'll also be my last. I'm not an elevation-loving person."

"Suite yourself. I just assumed that you'd like to see what the Rift looked like from above."

"I really don't-wait, what?"

Kuro couldn't help but peer out, and sure enough, below her was an array of red buildings, most of which being sad now that she was used to the views from the capitol, "What the hell are we out here for?"

"As I said, I plan to take you somewhere that I'm sure you'd enjoy."

"So…you're taking me to a bar?"

"Of course-Erm, no."

"Well, what else do you plan to do in the Rift? Get high with the homeless? Swindle the slightly-less homeless? Not much can really be done here."

"Who said that we'd be going here?"

Kuro gave him a look, watching as he kept to his course, flying right over the still-sleeping residents of the Rift, "Well, I don't see where else you could be going to; I mean, Limbo is that way, and the only thing pass the Rift is-No way."

Kuro didn't get a chance to finish what she had said, the truth becoming very clear and very close within seconds.

Kuro had only been to the edge of the Rift once before, and even then, the sight was one that she didn't really want to remember. It was like staring into a dark abyss, since that's what it basically was. Creatively named the edge, it ended like the edge of a cliff, the ground slowly crumbling away, dropping into the black murk.

Usually, this is where surface smugglers liked to stay. Unless you were about to start a contract, or you had some sort of royal status, which allowed the king to come and go as he pleased, there was no way that you'd be able to jump in and survive. But, if you were lucky and you studied the abyss, there would be times where a mouth would open, allowing those who time it right to come and go as they please.

Kuro had only gone once, and even when her passage had been guaranteed, she still didn't like it.

"No way, you're actually gonna-."

"Yes, that is the plan." Corvus said, hovering right over the black whirlpool that surrounded hell.

Kuro wanted to say something, anything to discourage him. Now he's done it, Kuro had rubbed off on him, he was going mad. Would this count as surface smuggling? She didn't know, nor did she really wanna find out.

But, before she could, Corvus whispered, "Hold on, dear one; I'd hate for you to forever lost."

And with that, he tucked his wings in, dropping them both into the cold murk.

* * *

Kuro was getting mad shudders running up and down her spine. The only thing telling her she was still alive was the warm feeling of Corvus holding her close.

Even if she wasn't fond of him, anything would be the cold that came from this dark.

She remembered dropping out of hell for the first time; and she hated it.

She hated how the wind whispered into her ears, and how the cold made it feel like cold dead souls were feeling her up, as if trying to drag her into them.

She couldn't stop the mad shivers, nor did she have much control over her quickened breathing. Had she been a human, she would have passed out by now.

She didn't even notice that Corvus had held her tighter, or that he was, in a way, petting her.

He didn't like the panic that was coming off of her, this was meant to be free, liberating, especially to a demon.

"Fear not, it'll be over soon." Kuro heard him say, whispering sweet nothings, anything to help her calm down.

Too which, she couldn't help but scoff, ever so slightly, "Whatever." Once again, not the best of comebacks, but one could only do so much when fear overtook them.

At least this time she didn't have to gaze into the eternal gloom.

Finally, that dropping feeling in her stomach vanished, the grip on her loosening ever so slightly, "Kuro, we've arrived."

Kuro looked up, almost timidly, only to have an eyebrow rise. They were at the top of a mountain on the surface, one with grass greener then she'd ever seen, and a cloudless sky.

"If you're taking me out for a picnic, I think you're forgetting...Everything else." Kuro murmured, Corvus finally letting her down.

As shaken as the trip here made her, she couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of grass between her toes. Nor did it hurt to breathe in clear air for once. It was such a huge change from hell, even more so the Rift.

"Do not worry, everything is going according to plan." Corvus insisted, sitting down in the grass, patting the space next to him.

Kuro gave him a look, only to find herself in admiration. He looked so...calm, for once. There was no fake smile, no usual slight irritated masked, just a calm and open smile that, for once, reached his eyes.

His rather nice wine-colored-

Shaking her head, she took the spot next to him, looking the view over, "I take it that you planned on me making a fool of myself in the abyss as well?"

"While not planned, I'd like to think that it was taken into account as a slight possibility." Corvus said, obviously trying to play it off, only to cough into his elbow, "I do apologize for that."

"It's cool; tell no one that I froze up like that, and we're good." Kuro said, about to go on, only to have Corvus hush her.

"It's about to start."

Before Kuro asked, Corvus pointed to the sky. Kuro followed his finger, only to scowl, "You took me to the mortal world to see a sunset?"

"Not exactly." Corvus said, before moving to cover her eyes.

To this, Kuro hissed, smacking his fingers away, "The hell are you trying to do?"

"Like I said, it's a surprise." Corvus insisted, the sun slowly but surely falling behind the horizon, "Don't you trust me?"

Kuro scowled, "Do cats fly?"

"Touché." Corvus laughed, looking rather carefree for just a moment, before clearing his throat, "Please, let me complete the surprise? It'll be well worth your time, I'm sure of it."

Kuro scowled, giving him a look, before nodding, "If I feel hands on my ass, there will be a body on the ground."

"I don't doubt it for a second." Corvus murmured. Kuro could feel his hands covering her eyes, and for a moment, she panicked.

For a second, she nearly reverted to her fight-or-flight instinct. How easy it would have been to grab his wrist, flip him over and pin him down with her knee.

The only thing that kept her from doing so would be the fact that he was the only way back, and even if she was his "beloved" or some shit like that, she doubted that he'd want to take her back after she pummeled him.

Whatever light that came through the spaces between Corvus' fingers slowly but surely faded, changing from a light yellowish-orange to a dark silver, "Can I see yet?"

"Give it just a moment longer; they need a bit more time to be visible."

To that, Kuro's imagination went into overdrive. What the hell was waiting for her when she opened her eyes?

The moment Corvus took his hands away, all the anger, irritation and overall emotional distress faded.

With the sun gone, the grass was bathed in an almost surreal lighting, from bronze to silver. But, while the grass was nice, it was nothing compared to the sky.

All over the ebonized sky, there were tiny dots of brilliant light, each one like a snowflake, so similar and yet so various. They drew up designs in the sky, the entire thing a huge picture that looked nice both up close and when seen as a big picture.

It was almost too perfect.

"So…Do you like it?" Corvus asked, sounding a bit anxious.

"I never thought that I'd ever get a chance to see it all with my own eyes." Kuro found herself saying, before giving him a smile, a pure happy blissful smile, "It's beautiful."

"I'm so glad you enjoy it." Corvus said, seeming to let out a sigh of relief, before scooting just a bit closer, "I was worried for a moment that I spent all that time in the library for nothing."

"Why would you be in the library?" Kuro asked, giving him an odd look.

To this, Corvus smirked, "I'm told that stargazing isn't done right if you don't know the constellations."

"No way...You actually took the time to read about constellations?"

"Not only that, but I memorized them as well."

Kuro's eyes sparkled in a childish way that she never thought they would again, "Prove it."

That was how the rest of the "date" went. As time passed, Kuro found her head leaning against Corvus' shoulder, as he continued to point out the constellations, the cold winter air doing its job to keep the whole thing cool and smooth.

"That one up there would be Gemini." Corvus said, pointing out yet another one.

"That's honestly gotta be one of my favorites." Kuro grinned.

To this, Corvus gave her a look, eyebrow raised, "Oh?"

"Gemini? The devious twins? How can I not like them?"

"A good point."

Of course, as time went on, Kuro pointed out her own constellations, her own "personal favorite", if she could call them that.

"There is no such thing as the DickButt constellation."

"I'm telling you, it's right there! Look, there's the butt, and right between the cheeks is the-."

"I'll just take your word for it."

After a while, the two just sat in silence. Kuro didn't know when, but she found her hands being held between Corvus' much larger hands. Maybe it was due to how calm and collected she felt, but she didn't pull away.

Kuro knew that it was too good to last for too long, there was no way they could just sit under the stars forever, but she felt that Corvus had stood up too quickly. Had they not just gotten there?

"I don't wish to leave either," Corvus said, as if being able to easily read the expression on Kuro's face, before offering her a hand up, "But we need to go back, before our absence is noticed."

Kuro almost didn't catch the last part, as she smacked Corvus' hand away amusingly, "What do you mean by that last part?"

When Corvus didn't answer, instead extending his wings, Kuro let out a howl of a laugh, "No way; you, the perfect prince, snuck out? You know, even if you're a royal, can't you get seriously screwed for this?"

Corvus seemed to think on the words, before responding with, "It was worth it."

"Look, I know that this place has its perks, but I doubt that-."

"I couldn't care less about the surface." Corvus cut in, giving Kuro a tender smile, "It was worth seeing you comfortable with me."

"...Oh." Was all Kuro could manage. She didn't know why, but there was an odd fluttering in the pit of her stomach, which she quickly ignored, covering it up by punching his arm, "Well, at least I'm beginning to rub off on you."

And you're beginning to warm up to him, whispered the winter wind into her ear.

She was half tempted to flip off said breeze, only to know it would be useless and Corvus would probably think her even more crazy.

The two stood at the edge of the cliff for a bit, Kuro looking over the side for a second, before rubbing the back of her head, "...Corvus?"

"Hmm?"

"...Thank you. For…" Kuro waved her arms around, unsure how to describe the scenery or what emotion was bubbling in her chest, "...All of this."

"The pleasure was all mine, my Dear." Corvus insisted. There was a brief moment of hesitation, before Corvus placed a quick kiss on her temple, "I know that we haven't had the best start, and I know that I ask for many, many...renewals, for lack of better word; but I'd like to make this work."

"I hope you don't expect me to take it easy on you." Kuro teased, trying to ignore the warmth that was beginning to crawl up her neck. Sure, it was Corvus physically, but there was no one else around the trigger such a reaction.

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

And with that, Corvus held her close to his body, before dropping off of the cliff. Though, this time, something made the bitter cold and foreboding whispers a little more bearable.

* * *

"...So…Y-you're planning to take Lady Kuro to the surface?"

"Do I need to make myself clear once more, slave?" Corvus scowled.

Once again, he couldn't find it in himself to be patient with the tiny servant girl, the one that Kuro seemed to be taking a liking to.

At the moment, he stood alone with the tiny slave, the steam from the drying wet clothes making steam go up into the air.

Ah, yes, the underground laundry room was NOT his favorite place to be, but he had to make sure that everything had been covered before they left.

"N-n-no sir."

He was sure it was the stuttering, it was hard to try and piece together at times, "Good. Now, do you know what you are to do?"

"Keep m-my mouth shut and k-keep everyone from y-your sleeping q-quarters, sir?"

"Good, you do know how to use and recite orders." Corvus murmured, before pulling a shirt out of the laundry, pulling it on quickly, "Now, if something were to happen, I'm sure that you don't need me to warn you about how angry Ms. Sarai gets when she finds out someone from her section angered a son of our king, yes?"

"Of course, Prince Corvus."

"A good girl." Corvus grinned, patting the top of her head, before walking away.

He just had to make sure it was all perfect. He didn't want to just own her, no, that would be too easy. All this time, he should have set his sights on a larger picture. Now that he was thinking it over, the only reason that his brother probably hasn't gotten her yet is because of how busy he's been with Cresil and the "doctor's" new toy.

He wanted her to want him as he did. He wanted to make her happy, feeling that that would be the only way to truly be happy.

And there was nothing that would stop him from getting what he wanted, brother be damned.

* * *

 **So, to balance it out of course, now that we're gonna get some love for Arc.**

 **I don't know if I've clarified this before or not, but incase you don't know it yet:**

 **Corvus = Past!Sebastian**

 **Arc/Aranea = Past!Claude**

 **I'll admit, I feel like I've kinda been neglecting Arc, so I'll probably have him go have fun (for once) with Kuro or something.**

 **You know, I've had this chapter planned out for a while, but I never really knew how to get here, which is part of the reason it took so long for this one to come out. The way that I have my stories thought out are big events and I write the connecting parts basically on the fly, in a way; which is why a lot of my stories seem to be all over the place.**

 **In my opinion, at least.**

 **But, with this chapter out of the way, it'll make it a lot easier to get the ball rolling. There's just so much I wanna write about, but I'm not too good at stringing it all together.**

 **Something I should have thought of BEFORE writing it all out, I know, my bad.**

 **Oh, and on a side note, I plan to go ahead and try out Overwatch again, but after what happened the last time, I'm honestly kinda apprehensive about it.**

 **But, on that note, it was kinda my fault, and maybe I'll be able to right some wrongs from Atrium.**

 **...Or I could end up making them all over again, but hey, there's a tiny chance there that it won't all go up in flames...right?**

 **But anywho, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop a review if you did, and I'll cya guys next chappie.**

 **Till then. bai bai!**


	24. His Fair Lady, Weaving Webs

**Hi hi!**

 **So, since we've gone over Corvus X Kuro, I think that Arc should get a little love, if ya get my drift.**

 **And now that the whole possessive thing has finally been confirmed, we can make this and kick it up a notch.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kuro had to admit, the following days were quite nice.

Most of the time that wasn't spend mindlessly wandering the castle or sleeping was spent in the garden.

Once she had the route down, she found herself sitting at the marble bench on her free time often, just staring at all the green.

Now that she'd seen the real thing, however, she couldn't help but feel that the flowers felt a little too artificial. It was no secret that "plant-life", as the humans called it, could not grow down here. So, of course, to an extent, the flowers, the tree and the grass were all fake, but the see the surface without the cover of war kinda broke the illusion.

But, being the next best thing, she still enjoyed the many hours killed there.

Today, when she pushed the doors open, she found her usual spot taken by another.

At the bench, the still frame of a particular spider demon sat, his back facing her.

Kuro, for once, couldn't help but feel as if she were intruding on something here. He looked so at peace, almost like he was sleeping, and even if this was her usual hangout (/get away from Corvus) spot, it still felt as if she was invading.

She tried to slowly and quietly close the door behind her to the garden, only to hear a familiar voice huff, "Do you plan to stand in the doorway for much longer?"

"I honestly wasn't sure if I was allowed in." Kuro admitted, finally abandoning the doorway, before slowly walking over. Hearing him speak was also an invitation inwards, she wasn't intruding.

At least, she hoped she wasn't.

"Mmm." Was all she got from Arc. upon closer inspection of the spider demon, she noticed the black rose that he was holding, his black fingernails toying with the stem.

He looked so serene at the moment, emotionless as usual of course, but he seemed a bit out of it, in a calm sort of way, she guessed.

He then gave her a confused look, "Do you plan to stand over me for the next hour?"

"Depends, you got a problem with that?" Kuro asked, before taking a seat next to him, giving him a grin.

He didn't return the expression, but that was to be expected at this point.

In any other sort of normal occurrence, Kuro could press his buttons, lean on his awkwardly while reciting some odd story that he'd have no choice but to listen to, but she couldn't help but think that, at the moment, there was just a lot of much needed silence.

Kuro looked around, mindlessly twisting her ring around her finger as she did so. Something didn't feel quite right at the moment.

Of course, nothing ever felt right when she was within the castle, but still, something was very...off.

The feeling was tipped off when a low rumble sounded from the west part of the castle, causing the two to look up, confused. Usually such sounds were nothing new, the Rift was filled with such sounds, but Arc rose when he saw the smoke coming off from the western tower.

"...Is Cresil going ape shit crazy in there, or…?" Kuro asked, unsure where to lead that sentence.

Finally, Arc moved, grabbing Kuro's hand and leading her out of the gardens, "If that is what I think it is, we need to move inside, now."

"Well, pray tell, what do you assume is going on!?" Kuro said, only to jump when another explosion went off, before Arc pried open the door, shoving her in first, before closing it behind him, just as another detonation went off.

Even if this was normal in the Rift, it was different when you were the target. It was a whole different feeling when you're not the one watching.

Meanwhile, Arc looked around, never letting go of Kuro's hand, even if they were in the hallway alone, "Hey, you gonna tell me anything yet?" Kuro shouted, jumping when the building rattled under her feet.

Arc didn't have to, as the next turn revealed two guards, both clad in armor. One of them spoke up, "My prince, Lady Lilim, we need you both within the library, where it will be safe."

"We will be escorting you both." the second guard said, the walls of the castle shaking ever so slightly, "We're under attack."

* * *

"This is garbage." Leviathan scowled, as he looked out the window, watching as the angry mob continued to lob their attacks at the western tower. Though, he had to admit, it was smart to go for the one tower that was closest to the castle gates. The Sin had to admit, he found it stupidly brave of the lowly to go this far with an assault, "I don't see why we bother moving certain demons to the library when we're attacked, your office is more than good enough."

 _"Think of it as a bonus."_ Legion hissed, his smoky being neatly putting files away, ignoring the riot going on right outside, _"We're put away while the guards take care of it. It's regulation."_

"Call it what you want, it's stupid." Leviathan scowled, before picking up a paper, making a face, "So, I take it the team Yoru thing has yet to take flight?"

 _"The King has more pressing matters."_ Legion sighed, shaking his head, _"While it is treason, it is something I am tasked with when it comes to gathering information and creating a case, of sorts."_

Leviathan was about to walk out, ready to head over to the library, which was the closest "evacuation room", only to hear Legion drop something, a notebook, "...Is something wrong, Legion?"

 _"This is the perfect time."_

"Care to explain, _dominus_?" Leviathan said, not bothering to pay any attention to the fighting going on outside. The sin of Envy couldn't help but wonder how long the guards would drag it on until they were taken care of.

 _"Since the halls are clean, and the Rifters are at the gate; this would be a perfect chance to investigate Yoru."_

"Oh, am I hearing orders?"

 _"I want you to take a small team out, no more than five if that is possible, and go into the Rift. See what you can find on Yoru; they'd be too smart to try and get into this."_

"Honestly, I'd take anything over being trapped here any longer." Leviathan said, stretching his arms, before leaving the room, "I'll set out ASAP, _dominus_." And with that, he left the room, just as another rumble shook the building.

Legion sighed, looking outside the window, before shaking his head. To think that the Rifters outnumbered them. But, then again, that was their only advantage.

He picked up a book before leaving for the library, ignoring the slight dust that was beginning to fall from ceiling.

Thank Satan that the library was only a couple of doors away.

* * *

Kuro nearly tripped as she was pushed into the library, Arc not far behind, "Hey, watch it!"

"Our apologies," One of the guards said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest, before looking to Arc, "We will come back for you once the fighting has concluded. If you need anything, there will be a guard in here."

Before Kuro could make some sort of remark, Arc jumped in, "Thank you for your services."

With that, the two guards left, closing the door behind them.

Once the doors were shut, Kuro gave him a teasing look, "Maybe it's because I'm used to being stuck around your brother, but I wasn't aware that you demons of sophistication knew what respect is."

To the remark, Arc scowled, but after being around him for so long, Kuro could tell when he was really irritated with something or when he just allowed his usual expression to take over, "I do what I can to separate myself from the line that they have set."

Kuro nodded, before looking around. She'd been here once before, to talk to Corvus, but now that she got a good look at the place, she couldn't help but feel...tiny.

The walls went so high up, she couldn't see the ceiling. The whole room was larger than life, built to be like a giant maze of sorts. The carpet was a nice deep red, like the walls outside.

"Fancy place." Kuro said, before walking over to a nearby table, looking over the books that were already there, "Of course, this whole place is, it's kinda implied when you live in what is known as a 'castle'."

Arc stood over at one of the nearby bookshelves, seeming to be making a selection, which made Kuro stifle a laugh, "Don't tell me you actually plan to read one of those."

"We're in a library, with nothing better to do." Arc said, before finally grabbing two, walking back over to the table, "I'd suggest you do the same, but I'm not sure if you are properly educated in reading."

"I can read, thank you very much." Kuro scoffed, "I just choose not to."

"Hmm."

Kuro childishly stuck her tongue out, before looking around, "I'm going to go and explore."

"Don't expect me to come and find you when you get lost."

"Yeah, yeah, love ya too." Kuro muttered back, not catching the slight red on his face, hidden behind the pages of a book.

She walked off into the maze, part of her just needing to move about. While it was a large place, she hated feeling as if she were trapped in here, forced to use it as a sort of bomb shelter to wait out the fighting outside.

As she'd walk by the bookshelves, she'd read some of the labels, probably used to organize the books and shelves. Some were your standard: Language, Science, History; and so on and so on.

But, the deeper in she went, the subjects changed from your standard boring school classes to much darker things.

"Why would we have a whole area dedicated to exorcism?" Kuro wondered aloud, the very word sending shivers down her spine.

She went deeper on, before finally coming to a stop, a label catching her eye, "Demonic Fable." She read aloud, before inspecting the books.

Of course, she knew of the usual myths, the stupid stories that the children of the Rift would wet themselves to the thought of, but even then, these books held a little promise.

Maybe even some truth.

"Please don't let this book start yelling at me," Kuro said, pulling out one with a dark green cover, the edges well-worn as if it had been pulled out many times before, "The moment I see a face popping out, I'm throwing this out the window."

Kuro cringed, propping open the book, only to sigh with relief; no jump-scares. Only now did she bother to read the front cover, "Who would read a book called 'Demons of Lust and where to find them'?"

"I, preferably, find it a good read."

Kuro jumped, whipping around to face predatory dark yellow eyes, framed by his long wavy russet hair.

"…Asmodeus, right?" Kuro asked, handing over the book when the sin of Lust held his hand out.

"In the flesh." He grinned, tugging at the collar of his dark blue jacket, before giving her a flirty look, "What is the soon-to-be princess doing here?"

"Maybe you haven't noticed yet, but we're kinda under attack." Kuro murmured, feeling very uneasy, almost fuzzy around him.

"Are we now?" Asmodeus murmured, before shrugging, "I often lose track of time while I'm in here, as well as my awareness I suppose."

"Don't stress it, my dude." Kuro grinned, trying to soften the mood.

She first thought that it was just something small and stupid, like the side effects of not eating enough, but she could feel a sort of cloudy grasp on her head.

She didn't like it.

All the while, Asmodeus smiled, his eyes gleaming darkly, "Is something wrong, lovely?"

"Just a bit...dizzy?" Kuro mumbled, leaning on the bookshelf, a hand on her head. It was all feeling fuzzy, but in a distracting way, as if it was all to take attention from some other feeling.

"Oh, we have a bad girl on our hands, don't we?" Asmodeus chuckles, putting the book back, before walking closer.

The smell coming off of the sin of Lust only made her headache worse. She leaned back, nearly losing her balance as she did, "Get away from me." Kuro managed, eyes narrowed.

"Aww, don't be like that, baby girl." Asmodeus purred. Kuro never thought she'd think it, but she'd prefer Corvus' advances over this, "I know of your deepest secrets and desires; I can give it to you, if you wish."

"Fuck...Off." Kuro growled, attempting to raise both fists, ready to fight, only to nearly topple over.

"Huh, I was assuming that you'd be an easy meal." Asmodeus mused, only to shake his head, pulling his jacket off, "But, if you managed to turn down Corvus, I guess that I wouldn't have much of a chance either-."

"Asmodeus."

The sin of lust scowled, giving the demon down the way a dirty look, "Prince Aranea, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Do not waste my time with forced pleasantries." Arc scowled, before moving towards Kuro, keeping her upright, "Get out of her head."

"Aww, don't be like that, your highness." Asmodeus purred. Kuro, meanwhile, could only hear and understand bits and pieces of it all, her mind fighting not to go blank, as she heavily leaned on Arc, who didn't seem to struggle as he held her up, "I'm not Mammon, nor am I Leviathan; I can learn to share."

"Do not assume such ideals." Arc snapped. For once, Kuro couldn't help but compare him to Corvus when he had gotten angry with her; maybe they really were related somehow, "As a prince of this castle, I order you to never come near her again."

To this, Asmodeus laughed, the sound colder than anything Winter could have ever whipped up, "Mind your mouth, young prince; your status won't get you everything." And with that, the demon walked off, picking up and dusting off his jacket as he left.

The farther he got, the more the headache subsided, finally leaving, dulling to a slight hum for a few seconds before nothing.

Kuro groaned, still holding her head, when she remembered who was still holding her up, "I thought you promised not to go looking for me." She teased.

"Do not act as if my appearance foiled your plans." Arc scoffed, only to sigh when Kuro gave him a look, "You can't really expect a demon to keep a promise now, can you?"

"Aww, I was hoping you were different." Kuro said, faking a sniffle, before slowly pushing herself up to lean on the bookcase, "Seriously though, I thought you were in the middle of a good book."

"I had just finished it and was looking for something else to read." With the stone-face expression he always wore, it was hard to see if he was joking or not.

Either way, Kuro decided to drop it, "What was his deal?"

"He's the embodiment of Lust," Arc said, a disgusted look on his face, "You can't expect much."

"Okay, one, that rhymed, kinda." Kuro snickered, "And two, I'm not talking about that part, I mean the whole headache part. He comes close and boom, I'm just so dizzy. Is it his BO, or…?"

"Ah, you're talking about that." Arc sighed, looking around the bookshelf, before picking up what seemed to be a random book, "Come on, we should get back to the table in the front."

"Alright, jeez, hold up." Kuro murmured, her headache gone, yet her forehead was still pounding, "I just got mind raped, wait a sec."

"...Please never say that again." Arc sighed, one hand holding onto the book while the other half-carried her back to the front, "I've heard many terrible things from my brother, please do not tell me that I must learn to drown out your nonsense as well."

"Well, being how I only utter nonsense…" Kuro said, leaving her sentence hanging, before Arc stopped at the table.

He attempted to help her sit down, only to have her bat him away, "I'm dizzy, not disabled."

"If you say so." Arc sighed, taking the seat next to her. He looked around a bit, before murmuring, "Have you ever wondered how a sin became...well, a sin?"

"I assumed that they were just hand-picked by the big guy." Kuro admitted, "Or, you know, they were a part of the initial fall and all that crap."

"You're correct, but there's a bit more to it." Arc said, before flipping open his book, pointing to a page, "All the sins were a part of the initial fall, but each of the seven sins are known for a special skill."

"That makes sense," Kuro murmured, looking over the page Arc was gesturing to, "Only the best of the best will get noticed down here."

Kuro looked over the page, only to chuckle lightly. It reminded her of a sort of score sheet; this page being the table of contents. Judging by the "font", it seemed to be recently hand-written,

"So…Asmo the Boozo's got mind control powers?" Kuro asked, a bit confused. She had no idea what else "Mind Manipulation" could have meant.

"To a point, yes." Arc said, feeling like the teacher to a rather than a friend, before shaking away the feeling, "He's able to implement his own thoughts onto others, forcing his will onto others, in a way."

"Right, it's not rape if it's...You know what, I don't wanna touch it again, I already made my joke." Kuro murmured, before looking over Envy.

She couldn't help but hate the sin of Envy, Leviathan. Something about him just rubbed her the wrong way. Not that she liked any of the sins, except for maybe Belphegor, but that was because it was kinda expected of you.

"Huh, weird." Kuro murmured, looking over the page.

Arc leaned over, "What is it?"

"Next to Leviathan's name; there's nothing listed there." Kuro murmured, before looking up to Arc, "What does that mean?"

* * *

In the streets of the Rift, a demon sighed, looking about. From what he knew, the streets here were never quiet.

Finally, a demon walked by. He looked around, before following the demon, taking in and noting the striped tail that trailed behind the demon, as well as the odd color of the demon's hair.

The demon stayed to the shadows as he trailed this one, all while looking around. So far, there were no signs of life, nothing but a low hum that seemed to come from the ground.

Suddenly, the trailing demon stopped, feeling a chill go up his spine. He quickly hid, ducking behind a barrel, seconds before the tiger demon whipped around.

He looked about, before walking on, tail flicking about with what looked to be irritation.

Finally, when the tiger demon was gone, he sighed, wiping his forehead. He made sure no one was around, before his hair began to grow, slowly but surely turning back into its usual dark green, eyes growing ever colder, a special light ice-blue shade to be specific.

He cleared his throat, before pulling out a small device, something Legion had given him, from that crazed follower of his in the lab, "I had tabs on a tiger demon, but no one else is on these streets."

 _"I've got a lead, boss. It's a pair, both talking lowly. I caught them saying a few words about planned attacks. Should I go on?"_

"I want the rest of the team with you," Leviathan insisted, constantly alert for any open ears that could listen in, "I'll be going on, we meet up at the point in the next half hour."

 _"Copy that, Salus erit vobiscum."_

"Salus erit vobiscum." Leviathan replied, his appearance changing once again, before he was back out on the streets, searching for anything to finally catch this illusive team.

* * *

"It's probably nothing."

"I can imagine." Kuro grinned, shaking her head, "His 'quirk' is so shitty, he's too scared to put it in the books." Kuro laughed, only to have the sound die down when the castle rumbled once more.

Arc scoffed, shaking his head, before closing the book, "The kingdom is falling to pieces."

"From what I'm told, it's always been like that." Kuro murmured, watching Arc push the book to the side, "just a slow decline."

"It is true, to a point." Arc sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair, before taking his glasses off, cleaning off the lenses absentmindedly, "It'll become worse when Corvus becomes king."

"...What now?"

"You didn't know?" Arc asked, to which Kuro gave him a face.

"Do you think I'd ask if I did know?"

"There is no need to become snappy." Arc said, before dropping his voice, just above a whisper, "There has been talk of how, when Satan finally gives in, Corvus will take up the mantle of king."

"Who thought that was a good idea?" Kuro murmured. Of course, he had his moments of kindness, which was proven with the recent days, but Kuro couldn't see it. It was no secret, to her at least, that Corvus cared more so for himself than anyone else. Maybe she was somewhere up there, but that was only because of the current circumstances.

"It's a tradition, to a point." Arc said, murmuring the last part quietly, "From what I understand, Satan is to choose a prince that will take over when he's gone."

"And he just picked Corvus?" Kuro asked, "What about all your other brothers? Surely, they had a better chance, right?"

"That's where you're wrong, actually." Arc said, finally deeming his glasses clean enough to put back on, "While there are many princes to my father's name, there's less than a handful that he had with the queen. From what I remember, there have only ever been three to make it into their adult years, one of which being Corvus."

"And what about the two others?" Kuro questioned curious.

"I do not know what became of them." Arc admitted, "I never got to meet them personally; but I know that they were both born soon after the fall."

"Huh, what about that." Kuro murmured, "But, and sorry to backtrack, how would Corvus become king?"

"If our king were to die, he'd be the next in line." Arc said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Of course, that chance is very slim, but we both know how Corvus is. He wants the position merely to flaunt it."

"That sounds about right." Kuro said, laughing cheekily, "But he just gets the title? I know this is probably common for your kind, but is he really just born into the right?"

"Well, yes and no." Arc murmured, rubbing his forehead, "He'll only have the title after he is initiated as a kingly figure."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"Well, for there to be a king, he must first have a queen, yes?"

The moment Arc said it, Kuro felt a wave of nausea fill her head, enough for her to cringe, holding her forehead. Maybe that was why he was beginning to become so nice?

If that were the case, Kuro had to admit, that would be a shame. She was (ever so slowly) growing a bit...fond of the Crow.

Ugh, just thinking it made her stomach lurch.

She must have looked pretty bad, since even Arc took notice, "Are you alright?"

"Stupid headache," Kuro murmured, giving him a weak smile, "It's all on and off. Probably all thanks to that damn Asmo-Asshole."

"Even if a state of obvious pain, you spare no second to make stupid remarks." Arc sighed, before giving her a look.

Before she could retaliate with a much needed "Fuck you", she noticed him getting a bit too close. While he was probably the closest thing to a friend she had, besides Vanth, this was slowly getting awkward.

There were maybe a few inches between their foreheads, before Arc's hands came to rest on her cheeks. He looked her over, before sighing, "You're heating up slightly, that may be the reason you've got a headache. Have you been eating lately?"

"I eat." Kuro murmured, finding it a big difficult to speak when he was holding her face in his hands, "Just not much."

Arc gave her a small disapproving look, before moving forward. Kuro didn't have any time to make any sort of remark, feeling his lips softly press against her forehead.

She was stuck of shock for a few seconds after he pulled away, only to give him a look, trying to cover the red that threatened to overtake her face, "The hell was that stunt, spooderman?"

"I'm told that it is a Rifter thing." Arc said, pushing his glasses up as if this were another normal occurrence, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's something along the lines of 'kissing it better'?"

Kuro wanted to correct him, to say that it was something the Rifters said more so in spite rather than actually meaning the action, only to shake her head, "Well, in that case, you did it perfectly, Arc."

Arc nodded, a small smile on his face, before the doors were pushed open, two guards on the other end, "Prince Aranea, we apologize for the inconvenience, but the fighting has stopped. You're safe to freely walk the castle."

"Thank you for your services." Arc said, dismissing the two, before turning to Kuro, giving her an unreadable look, "...You are in need of a proper meal."

"Is that your nice way of telling me you look sickly?"

"Yes." Arc said, before holding out his hand, "Now, come along. If we go to the kitchen now, it is possible that I can get something decent out of the cooks."

"Aww, you'd threaten others for me?" Kuro grinned, taking his hand.

"I'd threaten others for fun." Arc murmured, before pulling her along, out of the library.

* * *

They never did notice the entity three shelves away. Of course, they never pasted by the area, but if they had come close, they would have seen the slight wisps of smoke, rising from where the entity stood.

Legion leaned on one of the bookshelves, a knowing smirk on his face. To think that he'd been trying to think of ways to gain control over the random demoness, and here was an opportunity, presenting itself.

While he wasn't much for staying in the library, filled with too many books that weren't worth his time, he had to wait. This is where he was supposed to meet up with Leviathan for a report.

He was waiting for the good news. Surely Leviathan would tell him that the opposing team was vanquished. Of course, there was no way that a ragtag group could ever amount to anything compared to highly trained demons.

So, when the sin of Envy came in, looking out of breath and about to faint, Legion's smirk turned to a scowl, _"Please tell me that you have some good news. If not, you'll ruin my mood."_

"Well, in that case, sorry to be the bearer or the bad mood." Leviathan managed, wheezing out his words, "We got our asses handed to us."

 _"...Come again?"_

"No one made it to the next point." Leviathan hissed, clutching his side in pain, "I had to run for it."

 _"A sin running from a group of Rifters; how shameful."_

"You'd do the same if you knew the weapons they had." Leviathan scowled, "They had shard guns, holy water bombs; all we were armed with were knives."

 _"I see."_ Legion sighed quietly, rubbing his forehead.

"If we want to take them out, we'll need an army." Leviathan sighed, before shooting Legion a grin, "But, we were able to narrow down their location."

To this, Legion's smirk was partly regained, _"Surely this, as well as my report, will be enough to gain the attention of our ruler."_

"Oh?" Leviathan asked, "And what did you figure out?"

 _"I'll fill you in on the way."_

* * *

 **I'm just wondering, which ship do you guys like more?**

 **Are we the people of Kuro X Arc or Kuro X Corvus?**

 **Feel free to leave what you think in the reviews!**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to leave a review (I thrive on those), and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	25. His Fair Lady, Caught and Threatened

**Hi hi!**

 **I'm happy, I've finally got this story working!**

 **I don't know if other people do this, but when I write, I usually start off with major plot points and start going, only to be stuck on how to combine them all later on.**

 **But, now that I've gotten over the basic stuff, I feel that writing will become a lot smoother from here on in.**

 **Amy: Look at you, becoming your own little story critic over here. Giving yourself golden stars and everything.**

 **Me: I feel that I deserve it. I've grown a lot since my first big story.**

 **Lilith: Ah, yes, it feels like it was only yesterday that you allowed your angsty teenage mind to take over and write up characters to secretly represent yourself.**

 **Erin: I could have sworn that it was just last week that you completed another chapter filled with typos and nothing more.**

 **Me: Haha, very funny, but if it weren't for me, none of you would exist, so shove it and shush it.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

After a rather nice yet small lunch with Arc, Kuro assumed that she'd have a whole lot of time to do nothing. She had planned to go to her room and take a nap, maybe even see if she could catch Vanth and help the tiny demon girl to just calm down and relax.

Heck, she wanted to send a message through Marax to Shax to ask about the riot.

But, the moment she arrived at her room, she knew that she had no chance of getting any of that.

She was confronted by two guards, both of which looking as if they were guarding her room, which made no sense since she wasn't in there and, as far as Kuro knew, Corvus was somewhere in the kingdom doing who knew what.

The moment they both watched her, she knew she was in it for something.

"Apologizes, Lady Lilim." Guard #1 said, bowing politely, "But the King has wished an audience with you."

"Maybe we could do this later on in the day?" Kuro offered, as she looked for a way to buy time. The last thing she wanted do was to be trapped in the throne room once again. The last time had been more than enough, just the memory of how it felt to have the King's full attention was enough to make her knees tremble ever so slightly.

"He requests your appearance now." The second guard spoke up, voice stern and commanding. It sounded like he was talking to an ignorant child rather than a soon-to-be princess.

But,then again, it wasn't like she and irritating children had much contrast.

It took a second to decide between the toss up of bolting and going along willingly. Could they really catch up to her with all that armor on? But, then again, when she was caught, she'd probably be in deeper shit than if she had just gone along now and silently suffered.

"Lead the way." Kuro finally decided, following the two guards. Even if the castle was a hell of a labyrinth, she didn't like that she knew her way to the throne room and back.

As they walked along, Kuro twisted the ruby ring like mad, unable to do anything else to help the escape of all of this nervous energy.

Had she done something fucked up and forgotten about it? Cause, in all honesty, she'd do a whole lot of stupid things and forget since it was all second nature at this point.

Or maybe they had found Yoru and her connection to them.

The very thought nearly made her still where she stood, unable to move or feel her legs. It maybe would have been a small chance, but there was no denying that it was there.

She couldn't help but spiral from there. What if she was being led to her execution? Should she try to fight? Or maybe she should go with it, pretend not to be in on it and see if anything could be done to get out of a most possible cruel and painful death.

It was hell, she'd expect nothing short of excruciating when it came to "capital punishment".

While it all felt as if she had been standing there for hours, this all happened within a split second, only looking as if she had almost tripped over her own feet, nothing big enough to catch guard's eyes, as the three continued on.

Kuro could do nothing but continue to walk and twist her ring, hoping it was just her imagination going crazy. Surely it was the usual, her mind was going out of control. There was too much to think about in such a short span of time, or something like that.

She honestly couldn't really remember exactly what Vale had said, but she knew that it was something along those lines.

Finally, the two guards stopped, right outside the throne room's doors. The both took a door, opening it for her, which gave her yet another choice.

Go through the doors or run for it?

Kuro grumbled, ignoring the choices before walking in, hearing the two guards close the doors behind her.

As if she had a choice either way.

* * *

The only thing that differed from last time was the fact that Marax was in the room.

He seemed to be doing something important, maybe giving some sort of report, only to stop when the doors closed, the sound echoing down the hallway-like room.

Marax bowed, the only article of armor off being his helmet, which he held under his arm, "Lady Kuro."

"Sup, Marax." Kuro said, shooting him a grin, before bowing to the King, "My Lord, I understand that you wanted to see me about something?"

To this, the figure on the throne nodded, **"Marax, you may finish your report after this meeting. You are excused for now, please wait outside in order to escort Lady Kuro back to her quarters.."**

To this, Marax bowed, before leaving, taking a door off to the side.

Meanwhile, just like last time, Legion stood off to the side of Satan while Belphegor, for some reason, was sitting/lying down on the side, looking as if he were about to fall asleep.

All four of them stayed in silence, before the King spoke up, **"What were your thoughts of yesterday, if I may ask?"**

The question heightened her senses, the nervousness probably seen through her eyes and vigorous ring twisting, "Well, I never expected such an attack on the castle. They must have been very foolish."

 _"Or fairly brave."_ Legion murmured, but other than that, he stayed out of it. Kuro didn't know what it was, but there was something off about him. The way he stood, his whole posture and body language, it screamed nothing but victory, but to what Kuro had no idea.

 **"Indeed."** The King seemed to muse, before turning his attention back to Kuro, a chill forcing its way down her spine, **"Where were you during the attack?"**

Each question felt like another nail in the coffin, "In the library. Arc and I were taken there by the guards during the attack."

 **"...Arc?"**

"Oh, sorry, Prince Aranea." Kuro said, nearly forgetting his real name. Of course, the King wouldn't know the nickname, but after a while, it just became his name to her.

Once again, Legion seemed to grin for no real reason, before the King sighed, **"I feared so."**

"I'm sorry, my Lord?" Kuro said, now confused.

She took a step back when the King rose, two murky black wings rising behind him, **"Do you know of how the capitol works, my dear?"**

Kuro shivered, she thought she hated it when Corvus said it, but to hear it from the King in such a tone, she decided that Corvus wasn't too bad, "Not entirely."

 **"Then allow me to explain."** Satan went on, now towering over her at the monstrous height of nearly 14 feet, his shadow casted down on what Kuro assumed was more than half of the throne room, **"Here, we uphold tradition. One of these traditions is the bonding of demons, especially when it comes to demons of royal blood."**

Kuro almost couldn't understand what she was hearing. Was this why Legion was laughing?

 **"More so, even if we are demons, it is strictly against the law for a soon-to-be bride to go around with another male. Specifically, when that other male just so happens to be the brother of your mate."**

Kuro couldn't believe this. Both the fact that he thought that she and Arc had been...She didn't even want to think about it. And then, to top it off, he wanted to play the tradition card.

 **"Are you aware of the punishment for such a crime?"**

"I do not." Kuro admitted, her ring nearly falling off her finger with how much she was twisting and pulling at it, "But you must know that-."

 **"The punishment is death, banishment, at best."**

Kuro's eyes widened, as she was forced to gulp down her words, only able to utter a small "Woah".

 **"Indeed, child."** While she was used to Vale and Shax calling her that from time to time, as well as Abraxas doing so just to see if he could get a rise out of her, the way that the King said it sent chills up her spine, a feeling that made it very hard to come up with any smart remarks.

"...I'm sorry to ask, but may I know what brought all of this up?" Kuro asked.

The low growl coming from the king was more than enough for Kuro to realize that now wasn't a good time to speak.

 **"You insolent child."**

Just those words alone would have been enough to make Kuro thoroughly wet her pants.

 **"Such an action, if viewed by the public, would bring heavy amounts of shame to our royal heritage. While my chosen son has gifted you the chance of becoming his princess and queen, do not think that I'd ever easily allow a Rifter to overthrow how we work here. Am I made clear?"**

"Yes sir." Kuro gulped. It took all of her willpower not to crumble before the powerful entity.

If she had a choice, she'd die, go to heaven, and go under God's wrath for the rest of her life rather than simply being before the angered king.

 **"I do hope that you understand what will happen if you are ever caught with Aranea again? While it would be a shame to find a replacement for my chosen son, it will be done if necessary."**

"I understand." Kuro insisted.

Satan seemed pleased with this, as he sat back down, **"I do believe that this concludes out meeting, Lady Kuro."**

With that dismissal, Kuro quickly and calmly made her way for the door of the throne room, mind both busy and blank as she attempted to put that whole talk together.

This was going to be a rough day.

* * *

Once those doors closed, that's when Belphegor deemed it appropriate to be mentally present.

Even so, the entire time, the sin of sloth was easily catching on to how happy Legion looked, all the way up to when and how he was excused from the throne room.

"My Lord," Belphegor yawned, once the door behind the many closed, "What was the real meaning of this?"

It took a while for the king to formulate anything, looking as if he were thinking out his words almost too carefully, **"...Do you not feel it?"**

"It's hard to ignore." Belphegor admitted, stretching.

Ever since that first meeting, she had been a…peculiar specimen. Of course, he himself was too apathetic to question her, but he found that he didn't have to do much when all six other sins seemed to do what they needed in order for him to get the information that he needed.

She was like any other of his followers, almost sluggish. From the way she carried herself to that grin on her face, it all screamed inattentive.

But, something changed, no, more like snapped when she got angry.

Watching her defend the prince was such a jump from careless to sudden vigilant actions. It was as if someone had turned the light switch on for her, in more ways than one, "She does seem to have a certain... temperance to her."

 **"One that is both unnatural and unseen, for both your followers and demons alike."** Satan finished, before holding his forehead with the arm resting on the armrest of his throne, **"Something like that must be controlled and contained. She's a danger, whether she knows it or not."**

"It doesn't help that we can't outright detain her for what she may see as no reason at all," Belphegor said, thinking aloud, "Is that the reason for our new blackmailing?"

 **"I'd prefer to think of it as damage control; or no, that's not the right word. Think of it as a sort of safety net."** Satan insisted, **"While Legion's little claim was something to be addressed, it was also a good masking for the real problem we now have on our hands."**

"So, just to make sure that I'm on the same page of you, my lord," Belphegor said, yawning once more as he counted them out, "We use intimidation not only to make sure that she stays with Corvus, which is the least of our worries at the moment, but also to keep control over her?"

 **"As stated earlier, old friend, she has something no normal demon has. It is too early to tell, but I can feel a sort of force that comes from both her and her ring. Maybe it is possible that she holds an angelic artifact?"**

To this, Belphegor nodded. It was not unheard of, ever since the war between demons and angels, there have been many cases when either a nobleman or a Rifter was found in possession of such an item.

The item was always different, but they all held the same power, the power of God himself. And even if they had been on the losing side, it did not mean that they had failed to defeat an angel or two.

Hence the appearance of angelic artifacts.

While there had not been too many sightings of such items and being how most if not all of them were locked away in the king's treasury, Belphegor was still humoring the idea. It did make the most sense.

"Or, and hear me out of this, my lord," Belphegor murmured, voicing his most ludicrous idea, "What if she is an angel?"

At the last word, Satan scowled, **"You and I both know that would be impossible. It would be futile to try to sneak an angel into my domain, fore I can sense their kind. While there could be some traces on her, there is no way that she could be an angel."**

 **"Furthermore, no angel can live down here for long periods of time. They'd go mad, especially one who has been alone for their entire stay here. If she were an angel, the only time that she could have gotten in would have been during the war."**

"Which would mean that she's been here since." Belphegor finished, "Thus, no way that she is able to keep a level head."

 **"Exactly."**

"...Well, whatever the case, we will be sure to keep a close eye on her." Belphegor insisted, looking around a bit, before whispering, "But, if I may press on sire, what do you plan to do with the traitor?"

 **"At the moment? All I plan to do is keep a close eye on Legion. He's been trying to overthrow me ever since we established a working system here, but where he lacks in loyalty, he makes up for in cunning and intelligence."**

"And yet, he doesn't have enough intelligence to tell him that you've been on to him since day one." Belphegor sighed, shaking his head, "Makes me wonder why he's second in command while I'm simply your advisor."

 **"As I'm sure you're already aware, it is tradition."**

To this, Belphegor nodded, before the King rose once more to his towering height.

 **"I am needed elsewhere; my queen calls out to me. I'm sure that you'll be able to keep yourself entertained?"**

"There is no need to treat me as a child, your highness." Belphegor said, bowing politely as Satan went up in a vortex of black, leaving only ashes behind.

All the while, Belphegor shook his head. This follower of his, Kuro, made his head work overtime, which was something he did not enjoy.

Just what was this Rifter?

* * *

All the while during the walk back, Kuro had yet to speak a word.

This troubled Marax. Even if he didn't know her well, he knew enough to know that she didn't like silence. Every moment she'd spent around him, ignoring the moments when she needed to catch her breath, was spent with a flow of rather foul words spewing from her mouth.

So, to see her in such a state shook him, ever so slightly.

"...Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

Marax cringed. Even the way that she spoke sounded a bit dead.

It made him wonder, what exactly had happened to her during the talk?

The two walked on, Marax unsure if he should bring anything up. The last time he had to draw something out of someone was back when he was watching Lezabel, and that was a very long time ago.

Finally, it was Kuro to speak up, "When will you be able to go into the Rift?"

"The earliest will be tomorrow." Marax said, keeping his voice low, "Why do you ask?"

"I'd like for you to send a message to Vale for me."

Marax nodded, making sure that no one else was around, before asking, "And it is?"

"I would like a meeting set up and ready to go for some time this week," Kuro said, speaking quickly and quietly. It was such a deep contrast to what he was used to when it came to the younger demon, "It all depends on when I will be able to get out of the castle. Can all of that be arranged?"

"I'll see what I can do." Marax said, before finally coming to a stop in front of the door, "...If I may ask, why do you require a meeting?"

Marax was ready to hear that she just wanted someone to talk to. That she just wanted to have some comfort after going through such a meeting.

What he didn't expect was for her to look him dead in the eye, her own almost glossed over, "I plan to meet with them to talk about my escape."

To this, Marax eyebrow rose. Of course, it was something that would be blatantly obvious, but at the same time, "...I'm sorry to press on, but how would you plan to do that? I doubt that there isn't anywhere, in both the Rift and Limbo, where you could hide from the King."

Kuro gave him a shadow of a smirk, which only served to make her look all the creepier, "Isn't it obvious?"

"I'm not only escaping the capitol, I plan to escape hell. I'm want to be surface smuggled."

* * *

Shax was about ready to close up when a knock came to the door.

Vale ignored it, going through his paperwork, before Abraxas finally answered the door. Shax watched him open it slightly, peeking out, before bending down to grab something, "No one's there now, but whoever it was, they left this." Abraxas said, dropping the bundle of papers before Shax.

Shax looked it over, as Zagan walked down the stairs, ignoring the irritating rat that followed him.

"Sarlea, please keep it down." Vale murmured, the bags under his eyes evident to Shax, "I know that no one else is here, but that doesn't mean that we stop working." Sarlea scowled, before plopping herself down on a barstool.

Shax blinked, he almost saw Kuro there instead, about to demand a glass, only to turn his attention back to the papers, "Vale."

"What?"

"It's an execution request."

"You make it sound so formal," Sarlea murmured, as Vale walked over to collect the bundle of papers, "Why can't you just say 'oh, Vale, it's a kill order. Maybe we could make more money off of it'."

"Don't paint yourself a saint." Abraxas shouted from his side of the room, before walking over, Zagan able to look over Vale's shoulder, "Who's our victim? Who's our victim?"

"Someone interesting." Vale murmured, reading the paper over once more, just to make sure that he wasn't getting this wrong.

Of course, he was the only one able to read it, it was written in code.

"Someone's willing to pay a good price for the head of the head scientist in the castle." Vale murmured, before turning to Shax, "Does a 'Cresil' ring a bell?"

Shax nodded, "A long time ago, if I do remember correctly. Worked for Winter for a short time. So that's where he managed to escape to."

"Oh, now I really wanna kill him." Abraxas said darkly, the playful tone he used not enough to cover the venom dripping out of his mouth.

"They have his schedule here and everything." Vale murmured, before shaking his head, "I don't like this job, Shax."

"But it's something," Zagan argued, picking at his nails with a knife, before slapping Sarlea's hand away from the stache in his jacket, "We could use a job, and if it's our Cresil…"

"I don't care if you guys are in or not." Abraxas said, rising from his stair, "As soon as possible, I'm heading down there, and I don't care how, but I'm going to kill the son of a bitch. I'll go with or without all of you."

All Shax could do was sigh. Abraxas didn't get angry often, but when he did, it was with good reason, "We depart at dawn, tomorrow."

"I'm telling you, this looks funny." Vale pressed, only to sigh when he realized that, once again, he was being ignored, "When we get caught, I hope that they hang Zagan separately."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zagan scowled.

"Dude, you're BO could kill an angel, no sweat." Sarlea said, snickering.

"Well, in that case, I hope that they never find you, and that you're left somewhere all alone." Zagan scoffed, shooing off the tiny girl.

"Well, I hope that you get killed by a unicorn shoving it's horn through your chest."

Once again, Shax had to rub his eyes to make sure that it wasn't Kuro standing there instead of Dajjal's ass-wipe sister, before going to help Vale set up communications.

Tomorrow morning was sure to hold some interest.

* * *

 **Whenever I write Sarlea out, I always think of a sort of demon version of Sombra. Oh, a demon skin for Sombra for halloween.**

 **Get on it, Blizzard.**

 **So, what do you guys think? I try to be open to suggestions for my story, so if you've got any ideas, feel free to leave them in the reviews! While I can't promise that it'll show up, I do appreciate it when readers try to help me out along with a story.**

 **In my own personal opinion, the best kind of story is the sort of interactive ones, which is why I enjoy a lot of immersive video games. If it can tell you your story how you want it to be told, that just makes it better.**

 **Also, just for reference to rules (since I know I might slip up and forget later), when it comes to hell, angels:**

 **1\. Are impossible to go by undetected in hell, since Satan would be able to sense them.**

 **2\. Spending too much time in hell would slowly deteriorate an angel, mentally as well as physically, in some cases.**

 **That's all I've got so far, but if anyone wants to add, feel free to leave suggestions!**

 **That's all I've got for now, I hope you all enjoyed, and I'll cya next chappie.**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	26. His Fair Lady, Once Entrusted

**Hi hi!**

 **So, like a lot of my other chapters, this ended up being a whole lot longer then I thought it would be.**

 **Also, it's another sort of flashback chapter, so it' just gonna be a whole lot of backstory. I was going to cut it, but since I put more thought into it than I do my own homework, I decided to keep it all.**

 **So, read and enjoy!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kuro shot up, a bit stiff and a little too alert for her own likings. She groaned, holding her forehead, before falling back over onto her bed.

It was the same goddamn nightmare, just continuous falling. Sometimes there would be a little something different, like something in the background that sounded like screaming, or this searing pain that would envelop the entirety of her back.

Shaking her head, she rose, before looking around. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't in her apartment, and a moment longer to remember the night before with a very slight cringe.

Her, Abraxas and Zagan decided to go through a special place behind Shax's bar to see what the demon kept for himself. Dude must have some real troubles, since one shot of whatever was in that bottle was enough for all three of them to go doozy for the rest of the night.

The last thing she remembered before fully knocking out was Vale coming down the stairs. Judging by his expression, he was surprised by the sight, but also unfazed, as if it was something that happened pretty often.

Putting that into place, it would make sense that Vale would shove her into what was basically a spare room within the bar, within the top floor. He wasn't Zagan, dude had just enough muscle on him to look like your everyday demon dude.

She pulled herself from the bed just in time for Abraxas to basically kick down the door, a huge grin on his face, "How's your head?"

"Decent," Kuro murmured, giving him a look, "You?"

"I'll feel better when you get to the roof." Abraxas said, before looking around, "You know, as soon as you possibly can."

"Why? Isn't it a bit...early for...anything on the roof?" Kuro yawned.

Abraxas sighed, before giving her a look. To this, Kuro froze, almost stunned, Abraxas never looked serious, "Look, Kuro; I really need to have a little chat with ya."

And with that, he left.

Kuro blinked, both confused and maybe slightly terrified. It was at that moment that Kuro could see the similarity between Abraxas and his brother. When he wanted to, he could be fairly persuasive, in that sort of boss-man way.

Kuro grumbled slightly, pulling her hoodie on tighter, before making her way into the hall. The moment she closed the door, she nearly jumped, something had fallen over and crashed down the stairs.

Shaking her head, she walked on for the meeting room, sure that Shax was down there. She walked in, seeing that the trap door was already opened, before going up.

The warm breeze that hit her in the face helped to wake her up more, but the moment that a gun went off, she was a little more awake than she normally was.

She watched as Abraxas lined up another shot with his sniper, taking another shot. She watched as a glass bottle on top the other building shattered into pieces, "If you did you're Shax impression just to get me to watch you show off, I'll be more than pissed off."

To this, Abraxas chuckled, before getting up, leaving the sniper on the ground. He took off those stupid yellow-tinted glasses, "Nah, you could call it a training session though."

"And you choose this moment why?" Kuro asked.

"Because everyone else is busy," Abraxas insisted, "Downstairs, one of Vale's friends is over for a visit, brought a little menace with him. They'll be busy, and since I don't wanna be down there, I figured that I should go ahead and drag you out before you get sucked in."

"Thanks, I guess?" Kuro murmured, before looking down the still open trap door, "But seriously, what could be so bad down there?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know."

* * *

"You should consider putting her on a leash, Dajjal." Vale growled, trying to hold back his irritation with the little girl, only allowing it out through the grinding of his teeth.

"Do you want these castle blueprints or not?" Dajjal said, ignoring another crash as he spread out the sheet onto the table, "I went through heaven and back for this; had a few friends get caught trying to get these."

"We will send in our team to see what we can do as soon as possible." Vale said, the two of them going over the plans.

Meanwhile, Zagan was scattered, trying his best to keep an eye on the little demon girl. Being big and bulky meant that he could be a lot, but not speedy.

He was nowhere close to how fast the little she-devil was.

He growled lightly, now understanding why Shax excused himself and left Zagan in charge, for once.  
Either way, Shax couldn't be mad at him when he saw the mess that this little bothersome adolescent left behind.

* * *

"I'll take your word for it." Kuro finally murmured, before giving him a look, "Okay, so I'm here why?"

"I think that it's high time that you got a sort of upgrade." Abraxas insisted, before pushing her over to the sniper.

Kuro gave the weapon a look, wincing, "Abraxas."

"Yeah?"

"It looks like it weighs more than I ever will."

"That's why it's on the ground." Abraxas said, before walking over to a smaller table on the other side of the roof, picking up the bottle before cracking it open, "Go on, give it a try!"

Kuro eyed the weapon, not liking it one bit. It was just too bulky for her, "Nah dude, I'm good. Besides, we've already got a sniper."

Abraxas took a huge gulp, before looking around, "Come on, please? What happens if you don't have a knife, or a hand gun? You'll need more tools under the belt!"

"Like I'll ever run into a sniper on the field." Kuro scoffed, giving him an odd look.

"Come on, just one shot!" Abraxas insisted, "I've seen you in the field, and since I trained you, I'd deem it fit that you go ahead and try out a new weapon!" Abraxas took another gulp before walking back over, placing it on the wall next to him.

Kuro's eyes narrowed, before an idea hit, "...I'll try it out, under one condition."

"Name it."

"You tell me why we're really gunning Winter."

To that, Abraxas stiffened, "What do you mean?"

"Come on, dude." Kuro said, before flicking his forehead, "I'm not smart, but I can pick up hints. You guys have some beef on Winter, and I want to understand it."

"I don't see why you'd want to get in on this old-school drama." Abraxas sighed, giving Kuro a look, "But, I do wanna see if you could work with a sniper…"

Kuro held out her hand, "Do I have a deal?"

Abraxas finally nodded, shaking her hand, "I'll tell you whatever you want." Abraxas said with a knowing grin.

To this, she dug her fingernails into his hand, "Lie once, and I tell Shax all about how you decided that pissing all over his bar that one time was a good idea."

To that, Abraxas made a face, "You promised to keep that silent."

"Then you'll promise to tell the truth, right?"

Abraxas sighed, looking around, before nodding, "Fine, fine, whatever, just try out the sniper."  
Kuro grasped the gun the way that Abraxas had, only to scowl. Everything about this gun was too big for her, "I hope you don't expect me to be able to run around with this like you do."

"Nah, I expect you to be able to sprint with that on your back one day." Abraxas said, almost snickering, "We're gonna have to build you up, twiggy."

"Shut up before I just drop the whole thing." Kuro scowled, trying to fit the shoulder of the gun into her own, "I could just go to Vale and ask."

"Yeah, good luck being either ignored or rejected." Abraxas grinned, thought something in his eyes were a bit...off. Kuro wasn't sure how or what it even was, but either way, she knew that he really wanted her to pull the trigger.

She looked through the scope, only to scowl at the odd feeling around her eye, moving away. She rested her finger on the trigger, as she aimed for an unbusted glass bottle. Letting out a deep breath, she pulled the trigger.

She knew that it would have some kind of kick, but she didn't expect it to be enough to push her back at least half a foot. She immediately dropped the gun, rising to her knees to hold the soft side of her shoulder.

All the while, Abraxas laughed, throwing his head back as he did so, "Oh Satan, that was hilarious!"

"Yeah, haha, I'm such a clown." Kuro grumbled, giving him a look, which only hardened with his next words.

"Alright, do it again."

"You spill a bit first." Kuro grumbled, rubbing the entirety of her right shoulder, sure it would go from pale to purple soon if it hadn't already, "Before I decide to lose more feeling in my right arm."

"Fine." Abraxas murmured, seeming to be in deep thought, before snapping his fingers, "Me, Shax and Zagan have a hard past with the guy."

To this, Kuro scowled, giving him a look, "I could gather that from the hints, ya douche."

"If you want more, you take another shot." Abraxas said, grinning. Kuro hated this, he was holding the bait right over her, and he knew that she'd go up to bite at it.

Kuro grumbled, going for the sniper once again, "I'm telling you, this is too bulky. Why not just have me train more with the pistol?"

"Already said, you should have a familiarity with as many weapons as possible." Abraxas insisted, a sly grin of his face as she attempted to line up another shot, "Word of advice, don't touch your eye to the scope. With that recoil, you'll get a major black eye."

"Not like it's easy enough to use," Kuro scowled, deciding to just ignore it all together, "You know, I'd love a sniper where I can stand upright and not bother with a scope and, you know, a hell of a lot lighter?"

"Keep it up, we'll get Vale to replace your pistol with a medieval bow and arrow." Abraxas snickered.

"Better than this huge piece of metal shit."

"Hey, don't talk crap about my Candi."

"...Your what?"

"Just shut up and take the shot."

Kuro scowled, lining up the next shot, only to have the same result. She was sure that her shoulder was going to fall clean off at any moment now.

"If I could feel anything on my right arm, I'd slug you."

"Don't start trying to scare me, kitty cat." Abraxas grinned.

"Whatever. What else you gonna spill? Cause, if it's not worth my time, I'm just gonna go back down and sleep a few more hours away."

"You know, beggars can't be choosers." Abraxas mumbled, thinking hard, before snapping his fingers, "Alright, all three of us use to work for the big guy."

While this was new, Kuro still gave him a look, "You can't give me a little more than that?"

Abraxas shook his head, "Fine, okay, alright...Shax was going to be his successor."

To this, Kuro froze up a bit, "...Huh?" Was all she could let out.

"You've seen Shax disappear before, right? Like, one moment he's behind the bar and the next, he's just gone? He's got this special place he goes to, filled with books and shit."

"About what?"

"Take another shot and you'll find out."

"You do realize that this gun is loud, and I can't hit a single bottle?" Kuro grumbled, doing her best to line up the sniper, "I'm wasting a lot of your ammo, don't you think?"

"You go ahead and waste all those rubber bullets," Abraxas laughed, "And I don't need to worry about anyone when it comes to noise. The guard ain't gonna come down here and no one cares to write me up, not when we got so many other things to worry about down here. Noise isn't going to kill you."

"You say that after listening to this gun go off next to the side of your head." Kuro grumbled. Maybe that's why Abraxas wasn't really one to listen, the gun must have made him deaf.

Boom, another shot, another brass-knuckled punch to her arm.

She could practically feel the smug look on Abraxas, "Keep it up, I hope your face gets stuck like that, so I can enjoy punching it in more often."

"You'll have to have feeling in your arms if you want that." Abraxas snickered, watching as Kuro attempted to get up, her right arm basically useless.

"Shut up and spill." Kuro demanded, poking her left index finger into his chest. It was going from her shoulder to her entire right side, and she'd be damned if she had to lose all feeling in her body just to fill in parts of a story.

Of course, she'd do it, but still, Abraxas was gonna wake up with his favorite hoodie slashed up, she'd make sure of it.

"Alright, calm down." Abraxas said, pretending to be intimidated, before looking around once more, "While we were with Winter, Shax was being trained by the guy, right? So, when we...Finally left, Shax took a few things to remember the place by. And, by a few, I mean enough books to fill a small personal library."

"But what kind?"

Abraxas grinned, before making stupid jazz hands, "Magic."

"...Okay, seriously, what was it on?"

"Magic." Abraxas insisted, "You've heard of Bloodborne magic, right?"

"No."

"Well, aren't you just a sheltered little girl." Abraxas said, almost spitefully, before explaining, "It's elemental magic, but since Shax wasn't like Winter and wasn't a demon born into an element, he's got to use other means of power."

"Like what?"

Abraxas eyes glinted almost evilly, "Demon blood, of course."

To that, Kuro made a face, "How the hell does that make sense?"

"I don't know, I don't make the rules here. I just know them."

"Okay," Kuro trailed on, "But that doesn't explain how you two got there in the first place."

"If you wanna learn, you'll take another shot."

"But I can't feel my right side! Feels like I lost an arm wrestle to Zagan and went again anyway because I don't listen to reason!"

"Good thing you have two sides, yes?"

"...Words cannot explain how much I hate you." Kuro grumbled, before lying down to take the next shot. She swapped her right side for her left, the trigger held in her left hand feeling only slightly foreign, before she lined up the next shot.

"Hey, you were really close that time." Abraxas grinned, as Kuro rolled over, clutching her right side.

Using the other shoulder helped, but nothing was going to stop that throbbing pain blossoming in her shoulder. And, by the looks of it, her left shoulder wasn't too far from being the same.

"Keep it up, I'll make you just as numb."

"I dare you." Abraxas laughed, "You look about as able as those balloon-people things that Shax use to have outside the bar because he lost a bet with Vale."

"I wasn't aware that Shax was able to lose...Well, anything." Kuro murmured, more to herself than anyone else, "Dude is basically perfect, the only downfall is that he knows it and likes to flaunt it sometimes."

"Well, between you and me, Shax let Vale have it since Vale was going to pay for the stupid attraction anyway."  
"That sounds...oddly out of character." Kuro mumbled, before shaking her head, "Hey, don't try and divert my attention! I'm not that stupid!"

"Well, fuck, you can't blame a guy for trying." Abraxas said, shrugging as he laughed in all good nature, before going on, "Well, let's see...As you might have already gathered, we weren't living out our lives like this, in a bar and decently paid, when Shax and I were younger."

"Lived out on the streets like all the rest of us?" Kuro asked, before shivering at the memory. Her earliest memory was from hiding herself away in the unforgiving streets of the Rift, with nothing but her oversized (at the time) red hoodie, rags for clothes, and red ruby ring.

While she thought of it as a sort of good luck charm now, back then, it was nothing but a beacon for demons who wanted what they thought would be a quick and easy few hundred dollars.

"Yeah, wasn't easy." Abraxas muttered, before rubbing the back of his head, "If you asked Shax, I'm sure that he'd rat me out about how scrawny and fragile I was. That was the only reason he took the job in the first damn place."

"Took the job?"

"Winter was basically the one to pick us up off of the streets." Abraxas said, trying to look nonchalant, but Kuro could see it. There was a twitch at the end of his mouth, a sort of black look in his eye, "I never really knew why. Whenever Shax asked, all I ever overheard was some stupid shit about how Winter saw a bit of his in Shax, or something like that."

"So, some really cheesy crap?"

"Yeah, just about." Abraxas laughed, his mood lifting just a bit, as if remembering pretty bad times, "While it was a step-up from living on the streets, it wasn't any...easier."

Before Kuro could do so much as give a questioning glance, she watched at Abraxas sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Once again, she could see the Shax in him, "...You gonna go on?"

"...Tell you what," Abraxas finally decided, "If you're able to shatter a glass, I'll tell you all the rest. No more in-between shots and bull."

Kuro scowled, "You know damn well that I can't make that. Closest I'll get is maybe within a foot."

"Well, that's not my problem now, is it?" Abraxas said cheekily.

Kuro grumbled, knowing what he was going for. He just talked himself into a corner, and now he was trying to turn her off of knowing more. Not that she'd allow it, she knew she was on to something good, but at the same time, there was no possible way she'd let him get away.

She was so damn close, too damn close.

She looked through the scope, only to curse. There was no way that she could hit one of those bottles on the opposing building.

To that thought, she grinned, "Okay, so as long as I hit a bottle, with this sniper, you spill the rest of it?"

"Yep." Abraxas chuckled, looking over the roof with her, yellow tinted glasses in one hand, the other playing with his jacket sleeve. It was hard to tell exactly what Abraxas was looking at, being how the dude never took his jacket hood off for whatever reason, but Kuro could tell that he had a smug look in his eye, so certain that he'd won.

With a grin, Kuro twisted around, made hard when the whole weight of the sniper was on her rather than the ground, but it didn't matter as it only took a few seconds to line up with the bottle on the wall, throwing glass shards all over the place.

The force from the gun was almost enough to send her tumbling over the side of the wall, and she would have too, had it not been for Abraxas grabbing her by the collar, pulling her back over the wall.

When Kuro finally dropped the gun, she looked up to see that Abraxas wore an expression of irritation mixed with slight amusement.

How he managed to pull it off, Kuro would never know, "I hit a bottle, now spill thy guts."

"...You can be such a little bitch at times, you know that?" Abraxas grumbled, running a hand down his face, "What I'm about to tell you is something that only Shax, Winter and I know. Not even Vale knows what really happened, Zagan too."

"Oh, in that case, I really shouldn't drop any hints to Vale." Kuro said with a grin.

To this, Abraxas' expression darkened, the expression nearly making Kuro jump, "I'm not serious often, Lilim, but you should damn well know that, right now, I am as serious as I'll ever be."

"Aight, no need to bust out your Batman impression." Kuro said, awkwardly laughing as she tried to break down the serious barrier.

Abraxas sighed, before pulling off his hood.

The first thing to catch her off guard were the ears.

Similar to how her own cat ears kinda perched themselves over her curly brown hair, the ears on Abraxas did the same, the only difference being that they had more of a softer shape then the triangles on the top of Kuro's head.

In a moment of pure brilliance, Kuro uttered, straight face and all:

"It looks like you stole the ears off of Master Shifu."

"What?" Abraxas muttered, looking up, before groaning, holding his hands over his head, in attempt to holding down the ears, "Damn, I wasn't trying to show you those!"

"Aww, but you look aborable!" Kuro cooed, before cackling. She wasn't sure how just yet, but this would be great to bring up whenever shit looked like it was about to hit Abraxas in the face.

"Yes, yes, I look cute; that's what I get for being the Red Panda demon." Abraxas scowled, before fixing his short hair, "Damn Shax gets the fox ears, chicks dig the fox ears, but no, I get to have the face of a teddy bear when I get my hood ripped off."

"I'm sorry, don't worry, I won't tell." Kuro managed to say in-between giggles, trying her damn hardest to keep control.

Finally, Abraxas turned around, lifting the hair to have the back of his neck exposed. For a split second, Kuro expected to see another pair of cute ears, only to quickly shake away the frivolous thought as quickly as it had come.

Looking closely, Kuro could see a string of numbers, looking like they had been tattooed into his neck, "...The fuck…?"

"7-12-21-20-20-15-14-25." Abraxas said, basically reading off the numbers on his skin, even when he couldn't see it, "I guess you could call that my experiment number."

"Experiments?" Kuro pressed, watching as Abraxas froze up just a bit.

He pulled his hood back on, making sure to hide it all up good, "Well, how do I explain this...When we first got taken in, Winter didn't want me. He just wanted someone to give his gang to, and in his eyes, the perfect demon for the job was Shax."

"But, believe it or not, Shax was a very...Over-protective brother, I guess. He only agreed to go with when Winter agreed to letting me in."

Abraxas then laughed bitterly, rubbing the back of his head, "But damn, if I'd known what was in it for us; I never would have pushed for Shax to agree to it all."

"I remember it so damn clearly, it could have happened yesterday, you know? First few hundred years were fine too, me and Shax had this nice big shared room, all the stuff we could ever dream for, all Shax had to do was stay in line."

Abraxas then took a seat, leaning on the wall. Kuro did the same, all while listening closely, "It's only now I see that, in the beginning, he was playing along to protect me in a way? I mean, back then, I was about as twigish as you were, probably more so."

"But, I do remember that one-time Shax finally said no. I forget, I think it was either he refused to kill someone, or he refused to go on a gang mission, but whatever it was, I remember that he didn't come back to the room for three whole days before they had me moved."

"At first, I thought that Shax was being promoted. He used to tell me all about how Winter wanted everything to go over to him, but that was kinda dashed when they had me moved to a sterile white room. I remember how it just smelled unnaturally clean, with three of the four walls being made of glass."

Kuro couldn't help but feel drawn into his words. He could try to deny it later all he wanted, dude knew how to portray a story.

"They brought in Shax to watch from the outside, and Shax had told me what went down. It was the first time I'd ever seen him cry and scream. It almost shocked me, really, he said sorry at least fifteen times a sentence."

"So, they held you prisoner till they got Shax to do what they wanted him to do." Kuro summarized, "Kinda a dick move, but nothing really new, if I'm honest."

"They did a bit more than just 'holding me hostage'." Abraxas said, trying to make the situation sound a lot lighter then it probably was, before shaking a bit, "They did all kinds of things to me when they kept me there, even when they promised not to. But, then again, you could argue that they agreed to keep me alive as long as Shax did his part."

"So, it was like that for a while, with experiments day in and day out. Winter, damn guy wanted to see if he could attain the impossible."

"There's not much that isn't possible down here." Kuro admitted.

"Well, you ever heard of a sign change?"

"Huh?"

"That's what they called it, back when I was in the white room." Abraxas groaned, shuddering, "They were running a lot of messed up experiments back there, Kuro; a whole lot of fucked up shit. They'd test weapons on those members they thought were loyal enough, be me, no, I got the special case."

He pointed to the back of his neck, "You know what those numbers stand for?"

"Each number stands for a letter, and after Shax helped me out, we found out that it spelled out 'Gluttony'."

"Which makes sense since you are a follower of Gluttony." Kuro stated, slightly confused.

"Wasn't before." Abraxas shook his head, "That wouldn't have been possible. There would be no way for Shax and I to be blood brothers. Back before, we were both Pride, just like Winter. So, it would only make sense that the guy would want to prove himself, even if it was for something kinda ludicrous."

That's when it hit her. An idea that no one would ever think to go through with, mostly because it just sounded too strange to want to change, "But it isn't possible for a demon to change their sin, right?"

"It doesn't happen naturally." Abraxas groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. Now Kuro understood why he'd do that so often, as if remembering all kinds of horrible things.

"But, long story short, that's why Shax has a grudge against Winter. The only reason we managed to get out and stay hidden for so long was because of Zagan, to a point. Guy use to be Winter's personal bodyguard, but Shax got him to turn on Frosty."

"...Well damn." Kuro muttered.

"Yeah, but that's why we're kinda gunning for him right now." Abraxas mumbled, shaking his head, "We got out, but we weren't able to destroy any information they might have gathered from the experiments. Shax and Vale think that's what the trade will be for."

Kuro shivered. She knew little about the guy, but if Kroni got his hands on that kind of information, there would be no stopping the guy.

To the thought, Kuro couldn't help but laugh, "We sound like fucking superheroes."

Abraxas was quick to join in on it, "Jeez, we kinda do, don't we?" His expression then snapped back to one that was serious, "But legit, please don't tell anyone about...Well, you know." Abraxas murmured, holding his hood tighter to his head.

"Won't tell." Kuro promised, "Must have been hell on hell, having to live with that. How does it feel, to have your sin changed?"

"What?" Abraxas asked, confused, before it hit him, "No, I don't care if you tell the team about the sin change, most of them know about it already. I'm talking about the ears."

"Why?" Kuro asked, reaching out to pet him, only for Abraxas to duck away, "They're adorable!"

"That's why." Abraxas hissed, smacking her hands away, before shooting her a grin, "How am I supposed to get the chicks if they treat me more like a teddy bear than a cuddle bug, if ya get my drift?"

To this, Kuro gave him a hard look, which she led until Abraxas finally sighed, "Okay, fine; this is the only thing about me that Vale doesn't know, happy?"

"Are you legit?" Kuro asked, a grin on her face. Just the thought of Vale being oblivious to something made an insane smile cross her face, "Well, that's too good to pass up, I won't spill. Must be a hassle to keep them hidden though."

"You have no idea." Abraxas murmured, tugging at his hood, "And, if I'm being honest, maybe I'm just a bit self-conscious about them."

"Said it once, I'll say it again, they're cute." Kuro giggled, making another false swipe for his hood. He ducked, giving her a look, which made her laugh, "Not so tough now, are ya 'Bullseye'?"

"You know what, young lady," Abraxas said, doing his best to look stern, the only thing giving him away being that his eyes were practically laughing, "For disrespecting your teacher, I want you to shoot off ten more rounds as practice."

"Aww, that isn't fair!"

* * *

 **I know it has little to do with the story, but I feel like we need a bit more of the background stuff, and it's really fun to write, so here it is.**

 **Also, thank you guys so much for the ideas! I plan to use some of them, specifically what Candace proposed, but I'll have to make some alterations so that it fits a bit better, so I hope you don't mind too much.**

 **Well, I don't have much else to say, so, I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Til then, bai bai!**


	27. His Fair Lady, Estranged

**Hi hi!**

 **So, I forget if I've brought this up, but I'll do it again since I'm too lazy to check.**

 **I have this new idea for an Overwatch fanfiction. I had a lot of ideas for Atrium, but we all know how that crashed and burned. But, even with the apprehension of watching another story burn, I'd like to try and take another whack at it.**

 **So, I was thinking about, of course, first fixing all of the Mary Sue problems. I think I finally cracked it, even if my new character may seem kinda Mary Sue-ish in the beginning, I think I've made a sure fire way of avoiding falling back into that pit.**

 **With that said, I'd like to ask you, the readers. What do you guys think? Should I go for it? Any pointers, OC ideas, and all that stuff, would be very much appreciated in the reviews!**

 **Anyway, back to Black Butler here.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Corvus didn't get it.

Everything was going fine up until yesterday. He was sure that the Surface date was a great step, and judging by Kuro's reaction, she was surely warming up to him.

After the date, he had gotten a real laugh out of her. It wasn't something sadistic, nor was it forced in anyway, it was a true-to-heart laugh.

To be honest, it kinda scared him at first.

But, the moment he woke up, he knew that something was up.

The first clue was that Kuro was up before him.

Of course, when Corvus had gotten back from the capitol meeting, the only thing he was able to note before crashing on the bed was that he was alone in his room, but still, Kuro wasn't often up before he was.

He was used to it by now, her lazy and seemingly random fits of pure and utter laziness, making this a definite first, "Good morning, Kitten."

"Good morning, Corvus."

Yet another red alarm went off in his head.

There was no fight over the nickname. Of course, with recent events, what use to be rather hostile and borderline malicious comebacks had dialed down just a bit, but even then, it was odd for her to just stay there and say nothing.

He rolled over, off of the bed, all while watching Kuro. She just sat there, looking out the window.

With a mischievous grin, Corvus pulled his sleeping shirt off, crawling back onto the bed, before holding her close, "Why the cold shoulder so early in the morning, my Love? Is it because you were denied the blanket?"

She didn't flinch, her breathing didn't hitch; all she did was gently and slowly pulled his arm off of her, still not sparing him a glance.

As his third alarm went off, Corvus grew in both agitation and irritation, just what was going on in her head?

His patience wearing thin, he growled, rolling off the bed to stand in front of her, "What's wrong, Kuro?"

One of those words seemed to snap her out of her trance, causing her to shake her head, rubbing her nose, "Nothing. Sorry about that, I just kinda...you know, spaced out."

Corvus didn't like the sound of that. Was this a sign that she may go into a sort of relapse? He'd made a lot of progress if he were to compare the current Kuro to the past street rat. He wanted anything but backtracking.

Of course, there was also that much smaller part of his, buried deep inside and away, that told him that he didn't want to lose what he had.

This part, as per usual, was largely (thought to be) ignored.

"Do not lie to me, Kitten." Corvus said, almost growling into her ear.

She jumped, startled, before looking away, "It's nothing to concern yourself with."

While he knew that she was lying, he knew better then to keep digging. At this point, there was a much bigger chance that she'd snap and go off on him rather than talk.

Of course, he didn't really have a choice, as a knock came to the door.

He gave the unmoving Kuro one last look, before going to answer the door, a guard on the other side, "Yes, what is it?"

"Prince Corvus, I do apologize for disturbing you at this hour," the guard said, bowing as any guard was expected to in the presence of royalty, "But you're being requested. They've found a body, and since your father is busy, they're asking you to identify it."

To this, Corvus scowled. There was nothing he hated more than feeling as if he were being sent to do someone else's grunt work. Of course, it was different when his father himself issued an order, but this, this was a blow to his own personal dignity, "And why am I being asked to do this? Who do they assume the body to be?"

"They think it to be Cresil, my prince; they assume that he was killed last night."

To this, Corvus' eyebrow rose. He resisted the urge to laugh, it was about time that Rifter-rat Legion had decided to pick up was put down.

With a sigh, he nodded, "I'll be outside to meet my security guards?"

"As always, my prince." the guard bowed once more, before Corvus dismissed him, closing the door.

Sighing, he noticed that Kuro had moved, thankfully, but only to stand outside, leaning on the railing of the balcony.

He quickly got dressed, all the while his mind thought. What could cause a reaction like this, out of nowhere, it would seem?

One idea could be Aranea. With that thought. Corvus scowled, teeth grinding. He'd like to think it was a sort of prideful anger rather than a small but growing selfish craving, but the thought of Aranea with her, much less the idea of him doing something to her…

Corvus must have been louder then he'd first assumed, since he only stopped when Kuro turned to him, eyes holding concern, "What's wrong, Corvus?"

"Nothing." He said, denying anything before his head made up his mind.

to this, for whatever reason, Kuro gave a small and light smile, "Do not lie to me, Crow." She said, mimicking him with a sneer.

To this, Corvus chuckled lightly, "Just slightly irritated."

"With that?' Kuro asked. There was something in her tone he didn't like, but at the same time, he had no idea what it was.

"I'm being summoned to identify a body," Corvus murmured, pulling his coat on. He barely noticed Kuro coming back in, closing the balcony door as she did so, "From what they've gathered, they think that it's Cresil."

"Oh." Kuro murmured, slowly but surely her eyes glazing over. He didn't like it, that expression she held when she was in deep thought. It scared him, to a point.

"I shouldn't be gone for long." Corvus insisted, about to leave.

"Wait!"

Corvus, shocked, turned around, doing as she'd asked. This was sudden, and while he knew that she was certainly the one to try to pull a fast one.

But, from all the things she could have done, he didn't expect her to stand on her tippy toes, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, "See you soon?"

"I promise." Corvus insisted, placing a quick kiss to the back of her hand, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

On the other side, he shook his head, mind racing.

There was no way that she'd touch him on her own freewill, let alone kiss his cheek. It took a lot of self-control to ignore how that part of his cheek was still feeling very warm, as well as how that same spot in his chest was pulsing.

No, he thought, as he made his way for the front of the castle, there was something going on.

And he'd be damned if he didn't find anything out.

* * *

It had been a long time since she'd felt this constant dread crawling up her spine.

The only thing that her short-span mindset could remember was the perennial apprehension that had yet to leave her alone.

to think, she'd gone from care free and not caring at all to feeling as if the walls now had eyes to watch and mouths to concede.

She shook her head, looking through her closet. Nope, she couldn't stick around here, she'd drown in her own panic.

She'd liked to have thought that the walls closing in on her helped to make the choice to leave and would like nothing more than to leave out the fact that she was scared entirely, but she was never too good at lying to herself.

looking through her closet, she was happy to find yet another hidden gift.

Ever since that stargazing date, for whatever reason, Corvus would leave presents for her in random places of the room. Maybe he knew about her secret treasure hunting passion, not that it mattered, the reaction was always one of surprise and maybe just a bit of...Honestly, she didn't know what to call this oddly warm feeling in her chest.

She refused to call it adoration, she insisted to herself, before pulling the gift out. It was fairly nice, with wrapping paper and everything. She ripped it open, pulling the cover of the box underneath off, a small grin on her face.

Inside was her red hoodie, all nice and folded, as well as a set of what looked to be a casual dark green shirt and black shorts.

Not perfect, but a big leap from the usual "Women should only wear dresses because society".

She quickly changed, still thinking of where to do. Due to the recent talk, seeking out both Arc's help and just general company was the farthest thing from a smart move, so going to the garden and anywhere near that area was a big no-no.

Of course, this also led to cutting out one of the only places that Kuro could really go to just calm down and collect herself.

Another idea that came to mind was to seek out Vanth. It had been a while since she was able to really talk to the young maid, and judging by the usual work load she has, it would do them both some good to just have a small heart-to-heart.

Of course, she'd have to find where the girl was first.

Pulling the hoodie on, it was the first time in a long time that she began to feel just a little more normal. To the thought, she nearly scoffed. Could she really call her past, hanging out in Shax's bar in the day and sniping demons at night, normal? When she was already beginning to get use to this rich and almost carefree life?

She shook the idea away, focusing on the new task at hand. Find Vanth.

With that in mind, she still had little to no idea where to beginning looking. Not that it was a bad thing, if anything, it provided a little bit of adventure, feeling more like the older days.

Wow today really was just a huge nostalgia blast to the face.

Since she assumed the little demon girl to be working, and she's heard in passing conversation between other maids and butlers about a sort of basement/laundry room, she decided to go down and look there first.

She shoved her hands into the hoodie pocket, missing how it felt to walk around like an emo teenager, hood up and everything. The only thing missing were the leather boots and the knife hidden somewhere on her, and she was ready for the Rift.

Making her way around the castle, she couldn't help but shudder at the idea that she now knew where a lot of the places in the castle were located.

She didn't really know how to think about it, honestly. I mean, of course it was nice to know where the kitchen was when she was hungry or just in the mood for a midnight snack, but at the same time, she knew that, with all the crap going on constantly in her head, memorizing the castle layout shouldn't even be the top ten on the list of things to remember.

...With that said, of course, she took a moment to stop, entirely forgetting why she'd gone out in the first place.

Thank Satan that, this time, it took only a few minutes to remember that, hey, I need to find Vanth, so I have someone other than myself to talk to.

A new personal record.

Walking on, she let out a relieved sigh when she finally came across the stairs leading down into what she dubbed the "dungeon".

It was the basement of the castle, where all the servants and seriously dangerous enemies of the crown resided, so with all the torture she knew was going on down there, dungeon just sounded so much better.

She took her sweet time down the stone steps, ignoring how the smell of damp...something permeated the air. Once the stairs sank back into the ground, she looked about. The room split two different ways, one going right and another hidden by a door she knew led to a particular mad scientist's lab.

Of course, the moment she was about to go right, something flash in her head.

If, by sheer dumb luck, Cresil really was dead, then it would make sense for his lab to be untouched. There was no doubt in her mind that Shax and the group did it, and if that turned out to be true, then it also meant that the death was a surprise, one that Cresil didn't plan for.

Thus, everything in his lab, since the death was recent, would still be untouched.

Corvus going out to confirm only gave her more time.

But no, she really shouldn't. She didn't know what it was, but there was something in that room, something in that cage that set off all the red alarms.

So, of course, it also caught her interest. It had been in the back of her mind for the longest time now, just the constant wonder.

What exactly was within that cage?

 _"Come on, Kuro. You know better than that. There's a reason you were told not to pull the cover back."_

 _"But that's what's alluring, Kuro. You know that no one will be there to stop you, and you'll finally have what most anime fans never get enough of: closure."_

 _"Okay, okay, very funny...But, what if it ends up being some sort of failed experiment that only Cresil can control, but now that he's most likely dead, no one can control it and you let it out and it kills everyone?"_

 _"Okay, one, that's farfetched and you know it. Second of all, you know as well as I do that you want that to happen."_

 _"A fair point, Kuro."_

With the problem finally made up, and the spinning headache under control, Kuro nodded, hands gripping the handle. It would be quick, go in, figure out what was in the cage, and leave.

Then she could go back to finding and bothering Vanth.

...Unless something else came up, of course.

* * *

Corvus sighed, looking down the street as they pulled a white cover over the body.

He couldn't help but feel just the tiniest bit of bliss when he nodded, confirming that the body was in fact Cresil.

Finally, he wouldn't have to deal with the Rifter rat every time he tried to go anywhere near the first floor.

Day in and day out, Cresil was either in the lab, going on and on about some theory with the king or Legion, or hanging around Arc, which only settled his hatred for them both.

There was no end to the irritation that Cresil seemed to bring with him, and to see him dead on the ground, a red spot between his eyes, those glossed over eyes, it brightened up his day.

From there, it could only go down as his mind wandered back to Kuro.

There was something wrong, he knew it, but he didn't know what it could be.

He was sure he hadn't done anything wrong, everything had been pre-planned and calculated. To make sure everything was right for her, each step, he'd gone to her personal irritating stuttering maid to ask.

He made sure that each visit wasn't a wasted one, he hated it down there.

Of course, if it wasn't him, who else could it be? When he wasn't around, he knew that Kuro liked to spend time in the garden, and the only other person to waste time in there was…

Corvus growled, continuing back to the castle, all while surrounded by his guards.

No one could see the killer look in his dark red eyes, nor the way that his teeth were bared, hands itching to tear something apart.

It was too late to realize it, but if Corvus was right, this game was getting out of hand.

He knew that he shouldn't have fallen, but at the same time, it was bound to happen at one point.

He couldn't really have her under his spell without a chance of her doing the same, albeit unknowingly.

But even the thought of his stupid filthy brother getting close made him growl lightly. How dare he try to take something that belonged to him and him alone.

"My prince?"

Corvus snapped out of it, giving the guard a look, "What?"

"I beg a pardon, your highness; we were just concerned."

"the only thing you should be concerned about is getting me back to the castle in one piece." Corvus spat.

to this, the guard cleared his throat, "I apologize, Prince Corvus; we simply became troubled when you began to...well…"

"Well what?" Corvus growled, glaring the now cowering guard down, "I do not enjoy having my time wasted when I have a lot to do today!"

It was only then that he noticed the almost smoky black coming off of him, with tips of green to make it look like a sort of hellish fire.

Scowling, he willed it away, for the time being, "We must make haste back to the castle."

As they walked on, it took all of Corvus' willpower to keep his anger under control. If the guards could see the rolls of black coming off of him, it must have been bad.

While Satan was a demon of Pride, Corvus didn't exactly have no Wrath. If anything, he could have passed as a filthy mix between both, like his wretched brother.

"Corvus."

And like that, the obscene one himself was before him.

It was wine red against stone cold gold, Aranea being the only one allowed to break the formation, a group of his own behind him, "What's the bird doing out of his pretty little nest?"

"I could ask the same about the spider away from his crevice." Corvus spat.

The action almost made the Spider prince smile, before waving off his own group, all of which dashing out within an instant. Unlike the guard, they were dressed in black, looking to blend in rather than being ready to defend, "Special orders from father; you see, while you get to identify the body, I get to look into it."

"I never took you as the type to lead Cinis." Corvus scowled. He hated many things, he was willing to see that, but Cinis was nothing more than a personal ego booster for Legion.

"Well, if you become king, you'll need Legion's help to run the kingdom," Aranea said, seeming as indifferent as always, "Father says that I will achieve Cinis."

"Which will still be under my command." Corvus shot back.

Once again, just a little bit of a smile entered Aranea's eyes, "Don't you mean Legion, dear brother?"

"Face it, you haven't been the best when it comes to management. You may hold the title, but nothing else. If prophecy comes to place and our King falls to the might of Heaven above, all you'll get is a crown and a throne. You're be a place keeper."

"At least I get the girl." Corvus said, almost sneering.

He was ready to push on, ignore the irritating bug, only to be caught off guard.

"And how can you be so sure?"

This made Corvus stop, "...What do you speak of?"

"As I said, you'll have it all, while having nothing at all." Aranea said, the end of his mouth curved upwards ever so slightly, "You might be mated and bonded to her, but how do you know you have her, mind and body? I've been forced with you since day one. I know that one thing that'll bother you to no end is knowing that you don't fully own something; or in this case, someone."

"You know nothing." Corvus spat, growling. He could see the black rolling off of him, but he chose to ignore it, advancing to push Aranea back, almost childishly, "She will be mine."

Instead of pushing back, like he was expecting, Aranea only laughed, "I didn't think she'd be able to do it, unintentionally at that?"

"Would you quit talking like Legion?" Corvus said, so far past irritated.

"She's managed to snare your black heart, hasn't she?"

This made Corvus stop. Yes, of course she had, but to admit it out loud would be to admit defeat, to his brother no less.

"There is nothing wrong with that," Aranea went on, "She managed to do the same for me, but I was willing to accept it much faster than you."

"What do the humans call it...Ah, yes, 'love'." Aranea murmured, making air quotes, "It can take someone over, can't it? It makes some uncontrollable, some filled with enmity while others feel nothing but lunacy. Or, maybe, in some cases, both."

"Leave." Corvus managed through his stiff expression. He no longer wanted to be here, out in the open, speaking to his brother.

If they were to fight, he wanted it within the castle, with no interference.

Aranea smirked, giving a mock bow, "Of course, King Corvus; you're very wish, my command." Aranea murmured, before walking off, ignoring on lookers.

Now that Corvus looked around, he noticed the small but noticeable crowd of demons, looking on. With one glare, they scattered, causing a sneer to his face, "Like roaches under foot." Corvus muttered, before walking on.

He could feel his control slipping, any moment now, he'd explode and begin to crumble in pieces.

To the thought, Corvus growled, holding his forehead.

She was going to be the death of him, he knew it.

* * *

With the lights off, it resembled a Frankenstein movie set more than an actual lab.

Of course, there was no real difference, besides that odd spooky factor.

Kuro looked around, looking for any source of light, before sighing when she found none. The only source of light came from the ajar door, which would have to remain open since it would be the only way for her to be able to see anything in the room.

Looking around, it didn't look had anything had really changed. Everything was still undeniably messy, but unlike the last time, she gave some of the papers on the tables a better look.

Some looked like important records and documents, written in calligraphy so fancy Kuro wasn't going to bother to try and read it. Others looked like blueprints for diabolical machines that would never come to reality.

One of those blueprints caught her eye. She'd seen it during her contract on the surface, but even then, this form of capital punishment had been, in a way, outlawed.

It looked like an old-fashioned gallows-thingy, the only difference was the rope used. In the designs for them, they seemed to be regular rope, but with something weaved into it, like dark red glass.

"I don't know if that's kinky, cruel, or both." Kuro shuddered, pushing it away, before looking over to the cage.

She could see the bottom of the sheet ruffling, which was odd since there was no way for a draft to get in without going through the door she stood in front of.

Kuro slowly approached it, hand reaching out. All she had to do was tear away the curtain, and after, she could leave.

Her imagination went wild, what could it be in the cage? Of course, the idea of some experiment was a very large and possible idea, but what else could give off this...odd feeling?

It was uncomfortable to a point. Or maybe just odd, with a touch of deja vu.

She shook her head, hands gripping the white sheet. She didn't know what the feeling was, so at the moment, it didn't matter.

Not that she was close enough, she noticed something dark red sprinkled over the sheet, and almost recoiled when she realized what it was, "Cresil had a serious thing for shards, didn't he?" She muttered, dusting it off of her hand.

She made a mental note to bring up shard dust later on when she went over to the bar, maybe Shax and Vale could use it for something, like some sort of smoke bomb.

She lightly tugged the sheet, and only then did the feeling grow. It was like an unknown song roaring into her ears, to the point where she'd do anything for it to stop. It had gone from a sort of fleeting dream into a nightmare.

This almost made her back out of the room. If just tugging the sheet made this happen, who knew what was under those sheets?

She shook her head, no, she was this close. She'd already submitted her fear to the King, she was not about to do the same against a fucking birdcage.

She finally ripped away the white sheets, only to gasp, jumping back as she did so.

Within the cage, on his knees, was an angel.

He was dressed in what looked to be ripped toga, his white hair hid his face. He looked to be breathing, albeit very slowly, as if he were dying on the spot.

So, like any other normal demon, Kuro did the obvious thing.

Finding a metal pipe on the ground, Kuro picked it up, before poking the angel with it.

The horrid shriek of a sound made Kuro jump back, pipe forgotten.

Those eyes, amethyst-colored eyes, they scared her to a point. The expression the angel held was one that only someone who'd been pushed off the edge of insanity could hold. He began shouting something, but Kuro wasn't too sure what it was. It was like many overlapping languages coming out of his mouth at the same time.

All Kuro could do was watch with wide eyes. Out of everything it could have been, it had to be the bane of demons. She swore that she was beginning to feel faint. None of this felt right, either she needed to leave before she somehow died, or this angel was going to have to go.

Finally, it cleared it throat, before shouting, "You, you did this, you wretched fallen one!" The angel spat, his voice hurting Kuro's ears to a point, "We should have killed you instead, when we had a chance!"

"Huh?" Was all Kuro could manage, giving the crazed angel an odd look.

He went back to babbling, hugging his knees and rocking back and forth, most likely cursing her in some other tongue. All the while, Kuro could only stare.

Like fairytales for children, there were many bedtimes stories passed around for demon children. Even on the streets, there would be that one old man telling stories to all the kids in that particular area, probably to make sure that they wouldn't try to steal his shoes during the night.

But, for some reason, none of them seemed to really fit this twig of an angel. His limbs were so skinny and frail, skin looking as if it were almost hanging off of the bone.

but even then, he still held an air of...authority, maybe?

No, that wasn't the right word...It was as if he was…

...Nagging?

"How dare you ignore me!"

Yep, definitely nagging.

"Oh, shut it birdbrain." Kuro muttered. Honestly, the cage looked uncomfortable. He could only sit if he hugged his knees, his wings took up the rest of the space.

It was then that she wondered, if Corvus was an angel, would he look like...This?

The angel scowled, giving her a look, "What did you say, you insolent fallen one?"

"I told you to be quiet, you loud pompous piece of white trash." Kuro scowled.

For a second, something cold, almost familiar, ran down her spine. Her eyes went wide as the angel began to glow.

Kuro backed up, hand shading over her eyes. The glow that the angel was giving off made her skin feel as if it were blistering, which was quite the feet since she was used to the hot temperatures of Hell.

When the light died down, Kuro dared to look over her hands, only to gasp. The birdcage was now just a bubbling puddle under the rising angel's feet, his expression one that could have killed.

"Oh, look at who's silent now," the angel drawled, stepping out of the remains of his prison. His wingspan was a bit shorter then Corvus', but still did its job to make him look bigger, more menacing.

And being how the dude already had two feet on her, that was something he really didn't need.

Kuro backed up, looking around the lab, before quickly picking up the same metal pipe from earlier, holding it out like a sword.

It was a sad piece of crap, but better than nothing.

"Oh, how we've fallen from grace." The angel went on, stepping out of the goo. If the pipe Kuro was holding looked threatening, the angel really wasn't letting it on, "Well, one more than the other."

"Would you quit trying to be all mysterious and cryptic?" Kuro scowled. There was a fire behind the angel's eyes, an intensity that she really didn't like.

She couldn't help but feel that this angel was worse than any demon she'd ever faced.

Kuro jolted when the angel lunged forth, ducking away seconds before his hands could find their way around her neck, "Aww, I didn't think something like you would ever back away from a challenge." the angel said, almost mockingly.

Kuro couldn't help but growl, trying to put up and out a tough stance, even though she was slowly and unknowingly backing out of the room, "One more smart word, I dare you, I'll rip your wings off and…You know what, no, I'm above KFC references."

Kuro was thrown back when the angel brought its wings down, the gust of wind throwing Kuro out of the room, tossing her to the steps.

Kuro let out a gasp, the wind knocked out of her lungs, her vision growing droopy. She groaned, holding her head, fighting the urge to vomit.

Maybe it was angel fever, or some sort of affect angels had on demons, all she knew for sure was that there was no way for her to be able to take on this servant of God.

When Kuro's vision came through, the angel was on her, much too close to her face for her own liking, "Tu crevit, maiori." He murmured.

Kuro, not being fluent in whatever language he was speaking, made a break to bite his finger, only to have him smack her cheek, "Tell me where your King is, little Kitten."

"What?"

"You heard me, loud and clear." the angel scowled, a foot coming down on Kuro's mid-section. to this, Kuro cried out, eyes squeezed shut, "It's the whole reason I came down here on my own in the first place."

"All I have to do is kill your king, and God will let me back." The angel murmured, sounding like he was talking to himself more than anyone, "One slip up, that's all I made. But, unlike you, I have a chance to redeem myself. Now, tell me where he is!"

Before Kuro could spit some sassy bullshit, go on and on about how Satan was out on a picnic with his friends Buddha and a unicorn, the angel stopped. Scowling, he looked up the stairs, eyes narrowed, before booking it the other way, towards the basement laundry room.

Seconds later, Kuro could hear footsteps coming down, she herself pushing herself up against the wall. She would have fallen the moment that got all the way upright, if it hadn't been for someone catching her.

"What are you doing down here!?" Corvus exclaimed, holding her close as he attempted to help her stand up straight.

All Kuro could do was shake her head, pointing to the basement, "...Angel…"

Corvus shook his head, before turning to the stairs. He shouted something, and within seconds, a whole mob of guards came down, rushing into the basement laundry room.

Kuro could hear some distinct screams from the maids in there, before Corvus gathered her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style up the stairs.

"I came back as soon as possible," She heard Corvus say, "Went to the room, you weren't there. Do you know that panic it threw me into?"

"I'm sorry." Kuro muttered, going unheard as Coruvs went on with his rant.

"And then, I hear from some maids that you had gone down to the basement. but no, not to do laundry, but to go into Cresil' lab."

"Corvus-."

"So, with the guard with me, I got down here as fast as I could. Do you know why we had to move his lab down here? His first week here, the floor his lab was on wasn't safe for anyone. Every week, we'd have servants and maids dying, all reasons from some sort of chemicalized gas to an experiment gone wrong. What were you thinking, going down there alone!?"

"If you're so mad at me, just drop me!" Kuro shouted, ready to go on, until she saw the look on his face.

She'd seen a lot, but she never thought she'd see the day when Corvus looked so distraught. He looked like he was stuck between sad and angry, leaning towards one side more than the other.

Once they were out of the stairway, Corvus let her stand, but still held her close, "Never in my life, Lilim Kuro Akuhei, have I been so terrified for someone else's welfare."

"...I'm sorry." Her voice came out muffled against his chest.

"No, don't apologize." Corvus murmured, running a hand through her hair, being mindful of the ears, "Just...It's not on you."

For the moment, she stood there, allowing Corvus to do what he had to. Not that she really had a choice at the moment, with how Satan seemed to be breathing down her shoulder; but, if she were honest, this was almost...Nice.

Enjoyable, even.

It all ended when someone behind them cleared their throat.

Kuro's small feeling of slight relief was replaced with embarrassment, as she impulsively pushed Corvus away, "Arc. Hey."

"Evening, to the both of you." He said formally, bowing to kiss Kuro's hand.

Of course, that was enough to make Corvus snap, as he pulled Kuro back, "Hands off."

"Maybe you don't realize this, Crow," Arc went on, not seeming to care much about the almost animalistic expression on Corvus' face, "But she is not an item to be kept on a pedestal. She has her own mind, let her make her own choices."

Before Corvus could do or say anything, Kuro grabbed Corvus' arm, giving the two of them a look, "Come on, I just got out of the basement of horrors, but if I had to choose, I'd go back down there in a heartbeat if it meant that you two would quit turning everything into a dick measuring contest!"

With a finally huff, she proceeded to drag Corvus back to their room, ignoring the spider prince, even as he shouted his apologies after them, "I can't believe you two sometimes."

"You jumped temperaments quickly." Corvus muttered, allowing her to pull him along.

"You got to be able to change quickly, time isn't gonna stop for you, rich or poor." Kuro muttered, "You learn that in the streets."

* * *

the rest of the trip was really just a blur to Corvus. Kuro would speak on and on for one moment, and then the next, she'd be dead silent, as if regretting what she had just said, only to go back to talking a flash later.

But, as much of a wall Kuro was trying to put up, Corvus could see that it was one quickly made. There were many cracks, as if it had either been put up hastily or was often broken down with no sign of repair.

It was like looking into a broken mirror. Trying to convince yourself that, whatever you see in the shattered pieces of glass held together, was reality.

It was...odd, too say the least.

There was a lot that was off with her as of recent, that much was easy enough to put together. If he could figure out why, then he could fix it.

Till then, all he could do is wait until she fell apart and attempt to help put her back together.

* * *

 **MY GOD IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR ME TO FINISH THIS.**

 **I had it all written out, but then on Thursday the document refused to open, so I got to re-write it.**

 **Long story short, I think Microsoft Word hates me.**

 **So, once again, I feel like I've hinted to this, but since I'm too lazy to look through it all, I'll just say it again.**

 **I was diagnose with ADHD a while ago.**

 **I personally don't see it as a crutch, if anything, it's great. I'm able to notice everything and I'm very rarely bored. Of course, it's hard for me to concentrate at times, but I've learned to work with it after a while.**

 **It's great when I meet other people with ADHD, since it feels like I can connect to them. There aren't many that can think like me, so in a lot of my conversations with friends, I'm always all over the place, but they don't mind cause I'm funny and can't stop cracking jokes to save my life.**

 **So, too meet someone that thinks like me, it's great.**

 **I could honestly say that ADHD is a reason I enjoy writing on Fanfiction. I love typing out stories, making characters that talk, act and think like me. It only got better when I found out that there were people out there that read what I had to say and enjoyed it.**

 **So, this chapter is dedicated to ADHD...**

 **...I have no idea where to go from here.**

 **...So...Do you guys like jazz? XD**

 **But, back to it, I hope you guys enjoyed, this chapter is really dedicated to a special little reviewer who was open with me. I'm proud of you my dude, I know how hard it is to admit it, especially to a stranger, and for that, I've gotta applaud you. I wear it like a badge and use it to play things off, but you...I have no words.**

 **Much respect.**

 **Anywho, hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to leave ideas and thoughts in the reviews, and I'll see you guys next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	28. His Fair Lady, Devising

**Hiya!**

 **So, this chapter is a little of a build-up chapter, and for once I have some of the next chapter's outlines written out, and I like where it's going!**

 **Usually, I like to just write and see where the story takes me, but after Atrium, I found out that it doesn't always work. Of course, it does sometimes, but not always.**

 **The more you know!**

 **Amy: You'd think that would be a lesson she would have learned by now.**

 **Me: Hey!**

 **Lilith: Indeed.**

 **Me: Not helping. Not helping at all.**

 **Erin: Not our fault if you can't handle the truth.**

 **Me: Says the OC.**

 **Amy: That just goes right back to you, you know.**

 **Lilith: She's, for once, correct. In a way, you are only talking to yourself.**

 **Erin: Jeez, someone has no friends.**

 **Me:...you guys suck. Why did I ever write you?**

 **Amy: For the people's entertainment!**

 **Lilith: To help exude your angsty teen ideas.**

 **Erin: To be better than Amy.**

 **Amy: Girl, you like throw down?**

 **Erin: Any day, grandma.**

 **Me: Why do you two have to throw down every time? I swear, calm thyself! I don't got time for this, I have a chapter to put up, now shush.**

 **Anywho, with that out of the way...**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

 **"Anything else on Cresil and his lab?"**

"Well, as you already know, my king, his body was identified as the one that was found two days ago," The servant said, doing all he could not to tremble like a scared child in front of the king, "Furthermore, it was confirmed that Cresil had been keeping an angel down in his lab, which has escaped."

 _"Thanks to that Rifter girl."_ Legion snarled quietly, but Satan let it slide. He had other things to worry about.

 **"You're excused."** The king muttered, before letting out a sigh when the servant disappeared behind the doors, **"As are you, Legion."**

 _"But, your highness,"_ Legion said, almost whining, _"With all due respect, with everything happening, I feel my place is better, to serve at your side."_

 **"That is not your call to make. Leave."**

To this, Legion sneered, before finally bowing, _"As you wish, my lord."_ Legion murmured, before disappearing.

"...You know, one of these days, either he's gonna figure out that you're playing him, or he's gonna wonder why it feels so easy to play you." Belphegor murmured from where he was.

Lying down on the ground.

 **"With everything happening, I have other matters to attend to. He is not my top priority, not when I have an angel within these walls. I want to make sure that Sathanus has at least half the guard force here, no one comes in and goes out without my knowledge."**

"Of course." Belphegor murmured, before yawning, "You know, never thought that we'd get pushed this far off."

 **"Agreed."**

Belphegor looked the king over. No one else could tell, since there weren't many who had known the guy for so long, so it was hard to tell when the guy was stressed, "I know that this goes without saying it, am I'm your 'royal advisor' and all, but do you need to talk about it?"

 **"I'm sure that you've picked up hints, old friend. I just don't know why it all begins to fall apart now."**

Belphegor thought for a bit, before murmuring, "Do you think that she has something to do with it?"

 **"Either she's the cause or is being used as a cover."** Satan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, **"Either way, she has something to do with it. Artifact in hand or not, she has a vexing hand in this, all if it."**

"I assume that you want someone to increase watch on her?" Belphegor asked, ready to chalk it up as yet another mental note.

 **"...No."**

"No!?" Belphegor said, before groaning, holding his head. This was a bit too much mental work to hold him under, "B-but my lord-."

 **"I've given her the warning, if we step farther into this, there's a chance that she could retaliate. I will not have another outburst within my castle's walls, I've already had to deal with an angel, I will not lose guards to what seems to be a dormant threat."**

Belphegor wanted to voice how this could backfire, only to sigh, "As you wish, my lord. My job is to provide assistance as required, not to stick my nose where it is not wanted."

 **"A wise move, old friend."**

* * *

Kuro sighed with relief when she looked out the window, watching as Corvus left the castle once again. This morning, he had woken up early. Being the recent circumstances, Kuro had been awoken the moment the bed bounced, just a bit.

He had apologized for waking her up, before stating that he was being called to a sort of press conference. With the angel out on the loose, the nobility was demanding answers. And, being how the king was busy with prior engagements, it was Corvus' job to step up.

So, of course, once he left, Kuro pulled on the same attire as yesterday.

She hummed to herself, tying her hair back, before thinking. She had to find a good way out of here, and fast. Marax had hinted that they were ready for her arrival, but her window of time was closing quickly.

As usual, her questions and troubles were answer with a knock on the door, "L-lady Kuro?"

"Birdbrain isn't here, come on in." Kuro said, watching the small maid open the door, bowing before closing it behind her.

As usual, Kuro stayed off to the side, watching the maid clean. On day one, the girl was a closed case, unwilling to say anything unless questioned directly. But now, not only has her stuttering gone down, but she talks almost to herself while cleaning Kuro's room.

In a way, Vanth was turning into Kuro.

Which was kinda bad; hell can only handle one Kuro.

"Lady Kuro?"

Kuro shook her head, giving the concerned girl a small smile, "Yeah?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah, what makes you say that?"

"Well," Vanth murmured, twirling the light purple ribbon around her finger, "You're just kinda standing there, s-silently."

"My bad, I've got a lot on my mind is all." Kuro insisted.

"Such as?"

Kuro stopped for a moment. Was it smart to get Vanth included in all of this? Her life was hard as is, to add on the weight that Kuro held, that could easily crush her. But, at the same time, there wasn't anyone else that Kuro could talk to freely, recent events cutting off Arc, and she knew that Vanth wouldn't spill.

"I'll tell you some other time." Kuro insisted, rubbing her arm.

Vanth looked suspicious, but knew better then to ask, "Okay." he murmured, going back to cleaning, "I'm here when y-you wanna talk and ask questions."

This get Kuro's attention, "Well, wanna test that?"  
"Huh?"

Kuro took a peek outside her door, making sure that no one was outside, before ducking back in, "Alright, since you've worked her for a long enough time, you've got to know a good way out of here."

To this, Vanth stopped cleaning, rubbing her arm, "Well...W-well, I…"

"Come on, you've got to know some secret passages in and out of here." Kuro muttered, before going to her vanity. She nearly ripped the drawers open, taking out a crumpled piece of paper and a pen, "Here, could you draw me up a map?"

Vanth took the pen and paper with shaking hands, giving Kuro a fearful look, "I…I know them, but...But if I were to give them to you and y-you get caught…"

"Then I guess I just won't get caught." Kuro insisted, before ruffling her hair, "I won't tell them anything about you if I do get caught."

Vanth looked around once more, as if the closet or the bed had ears to listen and mouths to tell, before nodding, "Okay, lemme just...see if I can...can r-remember how to draw it all out…"

* * *

Kuro didn't know why, but in a way, she could totally foresee herself tumbling out a garbage chute to get out of the castle.

Kuro made a face, pulling off something she really didn't want to identify, before stepping out of the trash. She looked around, and just as Vanth had said, no one was in the area.

She pulled the crude map from her jacket pocket, looking it over once more. Vanth had drawn a rather detailed map of all the entrances, exits and quick passages within the castle, most of which on the first floor.

Getting down there wasn't too hard, but she had to do a lot of extra checks to make sure that no one noticed as she slipped herself down the garbage chute.

She then rolled it up, shoving it back into her jacket pocket, before walking on.

Taking another look around, Kuro couldn't help but shake her head.

In the Rift, there was an area that many referred to as "The Vastum", which meant "waste" in Latin. Now that she's seen it for herself, she understood the meaning behind the name, as well as the fury for the Rifters who were unlucky enough to be planted here.

Kuro walked on, maybe half a mile away from the bar. All the while, she kept her head down, keeping eyes away from others on the streets. She had no doubt in her ability to fight when needed, but the less confrontations, the better.

Furthermore, she'd never hear the end of it if she were to get injured, Corvus wouldn't let her.

Looking around, she couldn't help but smile just a bit as she passed the street community. As wretched, messy and anarchic as it was, it was familiar. It was home.

She passed by an older demon, telling stories to the surrounding children. Down another street, she did what she could to ignore a young couple sucking face, "They look like two confused cat fish", as Vale had once said.

Finally, the streets went from beat up to just a bit cleaner, and finally, she came to a stop outside the desired bar.

She stepped up to it, noticing the closed blinds behind the windows, which meant that they were waiting for her.

Before she could even knock on the door, it flew open, a gun pushed up under her chin.

Rather than retaliating, Kuro gave the little girl a confused look. She knew she's seen this girl before, but where exactly-?

"Shit, don't make it so obvious, it's her!" She heard Vale hiss, pulling the girl back inside by the collar.

Kuro grinned, walking in, before closing the door behind her. She breathed it all in, it felt so good to be back home.

"Yo, Shax, whip me up a little something?" Kuro said, taking her seat at his counter, slapping Zagan's back in greeting.

The demon, in response, did the same to her, nearly snapping her in half, "comrade, good to see you!"

"Same, Reinhardt." Kuro said with a grin, before Shax put a glass down next to her.

"It's about time you decided to show up." Vale muttered, before going up the stairs, "Shax had to stay close from the moment Marax got us the message, all because of you."

To this, Kuro cringed, before rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry about that. Shax."

"Not a problem." Shax sighed, his tone saying otherwise, before shaking his head, "Once Vale drags my bum of a brother down here, we can start."

All the while, Kuro swore that she could feel something staring at the back of her neck. Turning around, she met eyes with that same girl, who was now cleaning her gun, eyes never leaving her, "You got a problem with me, short stack?"

The girl quickly shot up from her chair, "What did you just call me, kitty cat?"

"Oh, use something creative, joker on drugs." Kuro murmured, gesturing to her hair, "I mean, what is up with the mess on your head? Pink and orange, you trying to stick out like a sore thumb?"

the girl hissed, looking ready to shoot, only to have Shax sigh, "Sarlea, do not do anything rash."

"I don't care who she is, ain't no one gonna shit talk me!" Sarlea growled.

It was then that it clicked, "Oh, you're Dajjal's little sis, right?"

"Not that it matters." Sarlea spat, before sitting back down, "big bro kicked the bucket, and you didn't do much to help."

"You don't know the position I was in." Kuro growled, standing up from her chair. Zagan tried to hold her back, only to have his hand pushed off, "You talk like you could beat me, but all I have to do is throw a magnet down to the ground to screw you over."

"Those are fighting words, you pussy." Sarlea shouted, looking like she was ready to jump Kuro.

"Kuro, do not egg her on." Shax scowled, making sure that Kuro sat down before sighing, shaking his head, "I swear, you two are so alike."

"Am not!"

"Does it look like I was held hostage by Hot Topic?" Kuro hissed.

Before it could go on, Vale marched down the stairs, eyes narrowed as he sent both girls a look, "Is there a problem?"

"N-no." Sarlea muttered, grumbling to herself as she put her gun back on the table, throwing her high-top shoes onto the table.

Shax sighed, giving Vale a shrug. In response, the tiger demon threw Abraxas, who had been hung over his shoulder, onto the floor, "May we begin now?"

"Next time just ask me to walk down before just throwing me over your shoulder." Abraxas grumbled from where he was, tugging at his hood to make sure it stayed in place, before getting up and taking the other seat next to Kuro, rolling his shoulder blade as he did so.

"That's no fun." Kuro teased, earning a hair ruffling from both Zagan and Abraxas, much to her irritation.

"To begin, there are signs of possibilities for another rebellion. Of course, since the last one was formed on a fluke, they're planning something bigger this time around. Vale?"

"I have a lot of close colleagues in on it," Vale murmured, taking Kuro's drink as he went on, ignoring how Kuro made a wild grab for him when he took a sip, not bothering to look at her glaring expression, "They're giving me information as we speak."

"Don't forget about Sliuxaro." Sarlea shouted from her spot at her table, "I know I'm not old enough to sit with the big kids, but still, gotta give me credit for something."

"Who's this wannabe Pokémon she's talking about?" Kuro asked, snatching back her glass the moment Vale put it back on the counter.

"He's the demon that is said to be in charge of the riot dates and meetings." Shax clarified, before passing Vale his own drink, "According to our intel-."

"Which was me!"

"…Which was Sarlea's findings, as she's so happy to point out, have proven this, as well as a few odd followers going with this movement, if you could call it that."

"Who's in on it?" Kuro asked, getting hyped. It had been so long, she just wanted to get into a fight, feel that rush.

"From what I've gathered on the streets, a lot of gangs are teaming up, which isn't something you'll see often." Abraxas said, scratching his forehead, "Heard a bit from what few are left from the Frost, Bloodbath and a newer gang, the Bronze Fangs."

"Hah, where'd they get that name, 'gang name fantasy generator'?"

"What about Skinner's group?" Zagan asked, "I haven't heard from the guy."

"they're still deciding, but they're leaning towards yes, from what I am able to understand." Vale said.

"So, we've got a whole group of enemies teaming up to take down the king." Kuro muttered, before grinning, "The whole capitol is gonna have a reason to pray soon."

"And what of your side?" Shax asked, giving Kuro a look, "You're the one who asked for a meeting, what do you have to bring to the table?"

to this, Kuro gulped, rubbing her arm. Even in the place she considered the safest place in all of hell, nothing could save her from the threats that Satan had made.

"Well, for starters, there's apparently an angel on the loose." Kuro began, smirking when Abraxas' jaw dropped, "The capitol's doing everything they can to cover it up. Only reason I was able to sneak out was because the Crow had to attend a hearing."

"So, there's a lot of chaos going around." Abraxas grinned, before nudging Zagan, "You know, I bet you that, if word were to get out, the Surface Smugglers would have a field day."

"Oh?" Kuro asked, listening in. This was where she wanted the conversation to go.

"Think about it," Vale reasoned, "There will be a lot of attention going to keeping this under control. That means that the recent guard increase will stop. If they hint to anything else, the Rifters are sure to do something, something that they won't like."

"Makes sense." Kuro murmured, before rubbing her hands together.

Shax, being the impeccable faggot he was, quickly noticed, "You're hiding something."

"Huh?"  
"Out with it." Shax murmured, going back to cleaning the countertop, "We do not have all day."

It wasn't like she had much of a choice anyway, so she spilled it all. Everything about the threat made, and how it was growing a bit too bad.

"Oh, so you've got two princes wrapped around your ring finger?" Abraxas wolf-whistled, "You dirty girl."

"That's not what I'm getting at." Kuro pressed, "If they decide to go ahead and try to investigate me further, they'll find this place."

"They'll finally eradicate us." Vale said, putting it together and summarizing it pretty neatly.

"Then we move." Abraxas said, as if it were the easiest thing on hell.

"It would look pretty odd if a bar within the Rift were to suddenly close down." Vale murmured, "That would catch their attention."

"It would also be a large hassle for us to move Shax's library." Zagan murmured.

"Actually, it would be possible for me to condense it into a single book, if I wanted to." Shax admitted, thinking aloud as he went on, "It may become handy, a whole library's worth of knowledge in a single book."

"Well, someone get this man a PS3 and that one game, what was it...Oh yeah, 'Book of Spells'. Dude will be a book-wielding mage in no time!" Kuro jeered.

All the while, Abraxas went silent, as if deep thought. After years of working with the guy, even with the time absence, she knew him well enough to know what he was thinking, "...There's always something else we can do."

Vale, being the guy he was, knew where this was going, "No, that's not an option."

"Does someone want to clue the rest of us in?" Zagan muttered, growling with irritation.

"I already said, Surface Smugglers would have a field day if they found out about the angel incident," Abraxas grinned, "And, last I checked, that just so happens to be a hobby of mine."

"Too risky." Vale said, strongly against it, "They may have more attention on the inside, but they'd still be able to see us trying to leave. We'd have to give them more to look at, give them an extra distraction."

"The riot." Kuro murmured. She looked around, "You guys said it yourself, they're planning to have one, so why not use it as cover?"

"But still, the risk of being caught it too great!" Vale insisted, before looking to Shax, "You know it as well as I do."

"...We either stay and risk being caught or try to escape and risk being caught." Shax thought aloud, before turning to Vale, "Only one option has assurance, however little, that we will live on."

"But there's no way for the nobility to hunt us down once we cross, they won't know where we end up." Abraxas grinned, before saluting, "Surface Smuggler's honor."

"This is all just an absurd idea!" Vale spat, irritated, "There is so much that we'd need, so much preparation in the time that we don't have!"

Kuro shook her head. The plan made perfect sense, and honestly, while it had to be done quickly, they had a lot of time.

No, something else was keeping him here.

"...You don't want to leave Marax down here, do you?" Kuro finally voiced, knowing she was correct far before it was said.

Vale scowled, looking away, "...I grew up with him and his sister on the streets. To just leave one day, even if he knows, it would be wrong."

"Aww, look at that, Vale does care!" Abraxas grinned, only to take a clean elbow to the jaw, nearly making Abraxas fall off. Shax, being himself, pretended not to have seen anything.

"It would be a fool's move, no more direct communication to hell. I don't know if you've noticed, but a demon on the Surface do not have many ways of staying strong while in the human world."

"You're saying that we'd have to return sooner or later," Kuro murmured, leaning back, "Which is why all of us leaving wouldn't be smart."

"Easy, I'll stay behind."

All of them turned to look at Sarlea, who was still playing it all off coolly. She then sighed, giving them all a dead look, "What? Oh, now you've got a problem when I finally decide to try being helpful?"  
"Why would you bother though?" Abraxas growled, instantly smelling betrayal. Zagan looked just as alert, his hand gripping the glass so hard, cracks were beginning to form, "You've made it clear that you don't like us, nor do you favor honoring the agreement your brother had made."

She gave them all a look, before laughing, almost bitterly, "You want the honest truth? Fine, I just don't want to risk being caught."

She then stood, as to make a point, "Think about it, if you guys leave, I've basically got this place all to myself. If I get questioned, which probably won't happen for a while, I say I took the place over after living on the streets and finding this place abandoned. Furthermore, I can keep contact between you guys and Marax."

"Which means that you can tell us when it's safe to come back." Kuro finished.

"And how do we know that we can trust you?" Zagan growled. From under his trench coat, Kuro could see something moving, like Vale's tail, but ignored it. She knew what it was, and as far as she was concerned, she wanted to be as far away as possible before it had to be used.

"Naturally, you don't know that." Sarlea said, a hint of a smirk beginning to grow on her face, "But, looking around, you don't seem to have any other options. Vale knows that Dajjal passed down his secrets to communication between here and the Surface. I'm your only option. I hold all the cards here."

Kuro gave her a look for a second, before breaking down into laughter. This gave her many odd looks, before she finally managed to say words, "My Satan, she just played us all!" Kuro grinned, cracking up, before walking over to the girl.

She must have assumed that Kuro was to be hostile, as she drew her gun, ready to fire. Too which Kuro only grinned, holding her hand out, "As tough as you try to be, you've got my respect!"

"...Right." Sarlea muttered, slapping the hand away. Kuro, however, wasn't blind enough to miss the small relieved smile on the girl's face.

"Then that is settled." Shax stated, "We will make our leave during the next riot, which is yet to be planned, and after we get what we need here hidden or condensed, which also has an unknown timeline ahead."

"There are a lot of unknowns in this plan, even with all our factors in place." Vale sighed, "I said it once, I'll reiterate it; this is not wise."

"But it's better than nothing." Abraxas said, backing up his brother.

"We have been through much worse." Zagan insisted, before taking a swing, "Remember the assassination of Adelram?"

"Oh yeah, that was a nightmare." Kuro grinned, loving the start down nostalgia road, "Damn fucker wouldn't stay down, all because of that damn jacket."

"What?" Abraxas mumbled, confused, before snapping his fingers, "Oh, I wasn't here for that! But what jacket are you talking about? I'd like to know!"

"Nope, you don't get that privilege." Shax said, almost teasingly.

"What? No fair!"

"Very fair, you weren't here, so no inside-scoop for you!" Zagan guffawed.

"That jacket was a form of the original Armor of Agathys, an angelic relic left behind." Vale muttered, looking bored with the little game, much to everyone else's disappointment.

"What exactly are those, if I may ask?" Sarlea asked from what Kuro was now calling the kid's table, "I've heard that word thrown around before, when Dajjal did back work for Skinner; what are they?"

"Long story short, they're items, weapons, anything that angel's left behind after the war." Shax said, before turning to Vale, "You have one, do you not?"

"Only a piece." Vale sighed, before pulling out a familiar handkerchief, "It has done me well in the past."

"What exactly does it do, if I may ask?" Kuro questioned.

"It can be used to change my appearance to select people." Vale murmured, "Found it when Marax, his sister and I were running from the last of the wars on the streets."

Abraxas grinned, looking just a bit tipsy, "You know, to do a proper Surface smuggle, you need an angelic relic."

"Oh?" Kuro murmured, her interest peeked, "How does that work?"

"Well, it's proven that the only way for a demon to leave is if they're royal or if they're about to go onto contract." Abraxas spilled, "But, another way to leave is if an angelic relic is destroyed at the abyss, or if you have a different angelic relic. I forget what it was called, but I know that it has the energy to expel what the angels did when they invaded during the war."

"Interesting. Thanks for the history lesson." Sarlea yawned, looking bored, "Is this all you guys do? Drink and talk?"

"And joke," Kuro added, "You can't forget that."

Vale looked as if he were to say something else, only to groan when a knock came to the door, "That's my signal to leave. I'll be attending a meeting to discuss the next assault on the castle. It pains me to see the day that the Rift begins to act just a bit civil, but it seems necessary for our plan to come to fruition."

Kuro could see it; Vale really didn't like the idea, but even he seemed to realize it. There was no other way for them to make an exit here. To charge the capitol head on would be a death wish, but also the best cover.

In the end, his greed would be the thing to get him to agree.

"Well, if you old geezers are done down here, I'll be going back up to my room." Sarlea muttered, excusing herself as well. She gave Kuro one last glare, before going up those stairs.

Once they all heard the door close, Shax spoke what Kuro had been thinking, "She's like a you from the past."

"Hold on, I was never that bad!" Kuro exclaimed.

"Oh, course not, but under all that gold and odd hair color choices, she's still a little girl that wants to manipulate the game."

"I didn't just want to, I did it without realizing I held all the cards at most points." Kuro admitted sheepishly.

"Either way, I'd prefer past Kuro over present Sarlea, any day." Abraxas insisted.

"I'll drink to that!" Zagan grinned.

To that, Kuro smirked, raising her cup one last time, "You're willing to drink to anything, big guy."

After that last drink, she said her farewells. As much as she wanted to stretch the time she had, feel normal for just a bit longer once more, she knew better then to tempt fate. The whole meeting had taken an hour at most, but any more time could result in Corvus returning before she.

In which cause, it would have all been for nothing.

* * *

Vanth had to admit, today had been a pretty normal day.

After the quick chat and map-drawing with Kuro, she'd gone to the laundry room to do her job, enjoying the silence since a lot of the maids volunteered to go with the Crow prince, as if they didn't understand that their outlandish dreams had to come to an end when Kuro stepped onto the scene.

Of course, it was derailed when the lady herself popped out from the wall, seeming to appear from nowhere, "Would you look at that, it is a secret door!"

Vanth had no shame saying it, she was pretty sure she fainted, since the next view she saw was Kuro over her, a grin on her face, "You alright, short-stack?"

Vanth's squeak seemed good enough for Kuro, being how she sat the small girl down. The two sat in silence for a bit, Vanth going back to her laundry, before Kuro asked, "Hey, you ever been to the surface?"

Vanth shook her head, "No, I've b-been living here for most of my life."

Kuro ruffled her head, much to Vanth's mild irritation, "Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd assume that the only time you've been to the Rift was when I took you."

When Vanth gave her a confused look, Kuro asked, "What's with the look? Do I have something on my face? Come on, man, you gotta tell me if I got something on my face, it's the only pretty thing I've got left. More or less."

"Oh, nothing is on your f-face, trust me." Vanth said, giggling, "But...I forgot that I told you about my time on the s-streets."

"Ah, no worries, I forget stuff all the time." Kuro insisted, poking at a stack of laundry, only to have it tip over. She made sure that Vanth was absorbed in her task before pushing the rest behind her, she'd have to remember to clean that all up later, "You learn to just roll with it."

"That's another thing when it comes to you, Kuro." Vanth murmured softly, "How is it t-that it is so easy to talk to you?"

To this, Kuro shrugged, "I don't know. I'm told that it is very easy to talk to me. I have no idea why, since most of the time I don't know how to keep my mouth shut, but hey, who am I to question it, am I right?"

Vanth grinned, before going back to folding, "...Kuro?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you tell me a story?" Vanth asked, eyes lighting up. In these weary days, she could always depend on Kuro having something funny to say. But, by far, her stories were the best. They sometimes merged the line that determined what was real and what wasn't, others feeling so emotional, Vanth would be at the verge of tears. But, in every instance, it was a great source of joy in this dreary life of servitude.

Kuro, not being one to let down, sat back for a moment, "...Okay...Alright, have I ever told you about the time I almost got myself thrown into the abyss of the Rift?"

"No, b-but that sounds scary." Vanth murmured.

"Well, if you don't wanna hear, then I won't tell." Kuro said in a teasing tone.

The pouty look on Vanth's face nearly made her laugh, before Kuro shook her head, "Fine, if you wanna prove yourself so badly, big girl, then buckle in. You're in it for the long haul."

And so, Kuro told the story, as dramatically as ever. Not only did it help Vanth forget, just for a moment, that she was trapped within the castle's walls, but it also helped Kuro.

It took her away from the stress of being with the Crow prince, the now strained-feeling of her relationship, if there was still any, with Arc. It helped her forget the threats made by the king himself, the memories from which still haunting her in both daydreams and nightmares.

For a moment, Kuro could go back to a better time, harder in some ways of course, but still, times that she longed for, "So, Abraxas, being the dumbass he was, decided to go ahead and start some beef with these guys from a different gang, called Bloodbath, and, well, we decided that there might have been something wrong when he didn't come back within the next three days."

Vanth, as usual, held on to every word, looking mystified. Kuro went on to explain more of the story in great detail, so good that she could imagine herself there.

"So, me being the idiot I am, I tackle the first dude I see, only to realize that, hey, I've got no knife on me, and this demon is at least three times my height and weight. Now, I'm not saying that I was scared, but I may or may not have let out a pretty wimpy squeak when the dude's hand was big enough to grab me by the head and lift me up."

As Kuro went on, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to Vanth had she really grown up fully in the Rift. How would she be? Would she still be this polite? She stopped thinking about it the moment Sarlea popped into her mind. From what she'd gathered, the two were around the same age, and Kuro really didn't want to imagine Vanth with gold sticking out of her eyebrow, "And so, to this day, I can't look at spoons the same ever again."

Vanth laughed, the noise sounding much too pure for her own ears. Kuro had done a lot of messed up shit, but even she knew that Vanth was too good for hell.

She, unlike her, deserved better.

"You may want to go back up t-to your room," Vanth said, wiping her laughter tears away, "Corvus may be wondering where you went."

Kuro shook her head. Maybe it was because she didn't want this sense of security to leave, or maybe it was because she knew that Vanth didn't really want her to leave, but either way, she wasn't planning on standing any time soon. She was in the castle, so it wasn't like Corvus could really get mad, right?

"Dude can wait," Kuro insisted, before ruffling Vanth's hair once more, "have I ever told you about the time I fought off a whole guard squadron with a folding chair and a match?"

* * *

 **Sadly, you guys will never know how Kuro managed to defeat a whole guard squadron with a folding chair and a match.**

 **On a whole other note, f I could draw, I'd want to draw Zagan in Reinhardt's armor. I don't know why, I had originally tried to write him out to be a mindless brute, but as time went on, he kinda grew into a violent Reinhardt.**

 **Won't lie, I kinda love it.**

 **Someone brought up that they thought that the Vanth and Kuro relationship would lead to yuri. I'll be dead honest, that's not where it's going at all. I'm trying to write it out as Vanth had had to deal with rich stuck-ups like Corvus for the majority of her life, which slowly purges her of the usual Rifter ideals, and then Kuro comes in with this whole "Oh, you look bored, let me lighten up your day". And then from there, it doesn't go any further than admiration.**

 **That's something else I'd draw. Just Kuro and Vanth talking, and maybe Kuro ruffling Vanth's hair. They'd make a pretty good big-sis/little-sis dynamic, now that I think about it...**

 **If I've got people who are willing to draw for me for free, please send review. You have no idea how happy I'd be to get fanart of something I wrote.**

 **Oh, also, to the question of my age, your guess is as good as mine! XD**

 **Sorry tho, I'm not telling, but it would be fun to see you guys guess, won't lie.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to leave a review if you did, and i'll see you guys next time!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	29. His Fair Lady, Caught in the Middle

**Hi hi!**

 **Who's ready for poop to smear the ventilator?**

 **...And with that, I've proven that big words don't make everything sound cooler; rather, it just sounds like English isn't my first language.**

 **But hey, who's really here for an English lesson? Cause, honestly, if you are, with all the typos I make without really correcting, you're in the wrong place.**

 **So, I'll stop wasting time, ONWARDS!**

* * *

The tension had to blow up at some point.

For a little less than a week, Kuro waited around, invariably on high alert. She had to keep an eye out for Marax, who would eventually be the one to tell her when Shax and Vale had everything in place. The moment that he told her the code word, she had to be ready to drop whatever she was doing and leave.

She hated to admit it, but with every passing day, a lot of what if's were beginning to rise. There were a whole lot of second thoughts arising, but as quickly as they came up, she'd shake them away. There was a reason she'd gone out to meet with them, they had a plan and it would work.

Maybe it was just the extra stress that was forcing such thoughts. Of course, it wouldn't be enough to just worry about escaping hell. No, she also had to worry about the two princes.

Every time Kuro was with Corvus, whether it be because he had time he wanted to spend with her or he was taking her along to some hearing that required the "new princess" to show, he always seemed on edge.

While Kuro was constantly looking at everything, nearly jumping at anything that changed too quickly, Corvus was much more analytical. Kuro did it as a sort of means to keep her head on, if she wasn't looking for faults in everything, she'd go crazy, assuming that something would go wrong the moment she wasn't attentive.

Corvus, on the other hand, almost treated it as a game.

Kuro shook her head, taking another look around, before settling back into her chair. For the past few days, Corvus has been sent to public meetings within the capitol to keep the nobility calm and under control. Of course, with how famous he was, it didn't matter much for what he said, since most of the demons who'd show up would believe any shit he was being told to say.

As he got off the stage, as per usual, a squadron of guards surrounded the two. They walked back to the castle, before Corvus sighed, rolling his shoulders, "Remind me, when they finish making our late Cresil's travel invention, I will be the first to test it out." He said in a joking tone. Not that the guards were really allowed to react anyway, "What did he call it? a 'Litter'? And odd name for a means of travel, but it beats walking about like commoners."

It wasn't that Kuro was ignoring him or anything, she was just also taking in everything else going on. She noted how there had been some demons gathering on the top of the roofs of the buildings, she had to blink twice to make sure it wasn't Abraxas up there, sniper in hand and ready to fire.

"...Kuro?"

"Hmm?" Kuro murmured, before shaking her head, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I asked if you have been feeling ill as of late," Corvus murmured, keeping his voice low. While guards could keep bystanders and commoners away, it did little to keep away unwanted ears, to a point, "You haven't been...yourself for some time. Is something bothering you? Perhaps, if within my power, I could help you?"

Kuro instantly shook her head, trying to put the realest smile she could onto her face, "There's nothing wrong, don't worry about it."

Kuro didn't need to look at his expression to know that he wasn't believing any of it.

But, for whatever reason, Corvus chose to keep quiet, no longer questioning her about it. She didn't question it in the slightest, the less he tried to pry into it, the better.

Although, she had to admit, their relationship up to this moment had come a very long way. She no longer loathed him just for being in the same room as her, even if she still thought that he could be a rather arrogant asshole a majority of the time, still flaunting his power to get what he wanted.

Kuro shook her head, a headache rising. She didn't want to think about it. Just, at the moment, she wanted to get back to the castle to just sleep away her problems.

you know, like a good follower of Sloth.

But, as the castle drew nearer, the gates behind them, Corvus dismissed the guards, "Tell my father I've returned and that the last of the meetings has been concluded. There will be no more needs for public hearings about the angel problem."

the guards bowed respectfully, before rushing off to do guard things.

Right before Kuro could go and dash off like them, a hand grabbed hers. It didn't matter that the grip was a gentle one, it still made her jump ever so slightly, "As your mate-to-be, any issue of any kind is my problem, whether you like it or not."

For whatever reason, his tone seemed to take on that of a father scolding his child. She couldn't see if they did, but she could have sworn that her ears were down, "I'm sorry." For what, she didn't know, but there seemed to be nothing else that could be said.

With a sigh, Corvus rubbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for, I'm positive that you are just not right in the head at the moment, no more and no less."

He led her farther into the castle, making sure that no one else was around, before placing the back of his hand on her forehead. Maybe it was the fact that his face was a bit too close, or just that fact that there seemed to be a little bit of unease in his eyes, but something was making her black heart pound.

Finally, he backed off, "When was the last time you had something to eat?"

"Umm...Is it bad if I really don't remember?" Kuro said sheepishly.

Corvus sighed, shaking his head, "Maybe that's why you seem very absent-minded as of late; you must be hungry."

He then cursed, making his way to the dining room. Being how she'd only eaten there once before, she didn't remember the route well, but it wasn't hard to get lost when she had Corvus leading her.

All the while, Corvus barked orders for something to eat on his way to the dining room, every servant and maid they came across bowing before rushing off to where Kuro assumed was the kitchen.

"I swear, that personal servant of yours is no good," Corvus muttered angrily, more so to himself than her, "If you weren't so sentimental with the girl, for whatever reason, I would have had her replaced already. With someone more qualified, like Sarai, or maybe I could lend Prescot to you."

Kuro didn't know what to say. It was nice to see that he cared, a lot as it turned out, but to have Vanth replaced...That was a major no-no. Not that Kuro could really explain, of course she wasn't exactly the healthiest, to demonic standards. Whatever meals Vanth brought up to her room, Kuro would have her eat it, knowing that the little girl needed it more than she did.

She was brought from her thoughts when Corvus sat her down at the dining room table, a gentle smile on his face, "It shouldn't be too long now, Kitten." He murmured, watching the doorway from behind her chair.

Studying his face, she noticed the tense lines on his forehead. How his stance seemed a bit too stiff, or the very light but visible bags under his eyes, "Corvus? Do you wanna sit down?"

Corvus looked like he was gonna refuse, before sighing, "If you wish me to do so." He murmured, pulling the chair to her right just a bit closer, before taking a seat.

Yet, even as he attempted to relax into the chair, he still seemed agitated. It was kinda funny, he just finished pressing her about her problems, and here he was looking like he was going to snap at a second's notice.

So, as always, she did what she did best.

"So, I spent a lot of my free time at a bar with friends, right?" Kuro started, almost startling Corvus into listening to her, "And, as I'm sure you know, a lot of weird stuff often go down in bars, especially bars in the Rift."

"Where are you going with this?" Corvus sighed, looking like he really didn't want to hear what she had to say, but was still curious as to where this was going.

"So, there was this one time that it's just me at the bar, and I guess you could count the guy behind it since I've been there so many times. I'm often told that it isn't a good thing when the bartender knows you by name, face and drink; but still, dude's a good friend."

As per usual, Kuro could feel herself calming down with each word. It honestly worked better than just bouncing her knee and tapping her finger to some sort of tune stuck in her head, only problem was that it was also a bit more annoying than the other two, "So, I'm sitting there, bartender hands me a drink, and this asshole walks in behind me. And I know, I'm an asshole too, but with the way that this guy was ordering people around, it didn't take long to realize that it was some noble guy that got banished to the Rift. For what, I never asked, didn't really care to either, but either way, his commands were starting to get real irritating."

"So, me being the demon I am, I walk up to the guy and tap him on the shoulder. He turns around, tells me to get lost. I tell him that no one wants to listen to his crap, and to prove my point, I get all up in his face."

"Well, like most of you rich stuck-ups, he isn't taking anything that I'm saying, so I get socked across the face." Kuro said, before grinning, rubbing the back of her head, "I was kinda asking for it, in a way. You can't expect to get up into someone's face without something happening, right? Anyway, I get clocked in the face, and dude gets all arrogant and starts going off about how superior he was over Rifters. Not that punching a little girl in the face is much of a feat, but he wasn't about to give it up easily."

"Now, most demons would assume it stupid to beat up the weakling, er, the child of a certain area and then go on about how that made you so much better, but apparently, he didn't get the memo. Of course, he did finally get this wake-up call when the other demons in the bar, a few...acquaintances included, decided to go ahead and take him to the back-alley roads. You know, to show what the Rifter hospitality was really all about."

"You wanna know the kicker, though?" Kuro said, a finger to her lips, as if she were about to tell a secret, "I go over and ask the bartender what why it took so long for everyone to come over and help. He replies with 'no one cared to step up, but after watching you get your butt kicked, your colleagues decided to step in, and they followed from there'."

"And from then on, I learned a valuable lesson." Kuro said, elbowing Corvus in good fun, "My taste in friends suck!"

Kuro could see the tension slowly rising from his shoulders, much to her relief. There was no way that she'd be able to deal with an agitated and possibly angry Corvus. She's seen his father when he got mad, she didn't need a comparison to see how similar he was to his father.

What he did next shocked her.

He turned to her, a full smile on his face. Its wasn't one that mocked her, not that sly shit-eating smirk that usually adorned his face. Nor was it a full blown almost-fake grin that she normally wore, not to say her smile was fake, it was just so large that it sometimes looked forced.

No, he had a nice soft smile, one that reached his eyes. He'd put a hand on her own, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, "You, my dearest, are my most treasured possession."

She honestly wasn't sure how to feel about it. He made the words sound as sweet as honey, as if they were an actual declaration of love, but at the same time, it was similar to a leash and collar.

Possession.

Before she could think more on it, the food arrived.

She smelled it must sooner than she saw it, not that it really mattered. She didn't want to think of where the souls came from, nor did she really want to think about how the souls were made to be eaten like this. As soon as her plate was revealed, she dug in.

She didn't notice how Corvus seemed content watching, not seeming to have ordered anything to eat, "You know what," She murmured in-between bites, "It's your turn."

"I beg a pardon?"

"I'm always telling stories," Kuro murmured, looking up from her meal just long enough to give him a small smile, "Come on, you've got to have some sweet stories up in that head of yours, something that's just a bit entertaining."

Corvus thought for a moment, and when Kuro was sure that he would just dismiss her rather stupid request, be cleared his throat, "A long while ago, when I was entering my teen years alongside Aranea, there was this event. I'm sure you've heard of it, the breach event?"

Kuro racked her memory, only to shake her head. Being how they weren't too far in age (Give or take a few thousand years), she could back track. And, if she was correct, his time as a teen was her time up on the surface, "I don't think that I was around for that, no."

Corvus seemed shocked, before shaking it off, "I'd assume that you've heard of it, but if not...There was a period of time when a human managed to come to hell."

"Well, that honestly doesn't sound too odd," Kuro murmured, before pointing off, "I mean, Limbo is right over there-."

"What about a human, who hadn't died, being able to pop into the throne room?"

Okay, Kuro had to admit, that was possibly a bit odd, "That...Sounds like something that makes me in the castle seem normal. How'd he manage to do it?"

"Apparently, it was a demonic summoning and contract gone wrong," Corvus muttered, "It was a servant, he had tried to answer the call of a vengeful human, one that didn't even know what he was doing, not until it was much too late."

"Of course, the servants and maids here are, to a point, bound to the castle. The only way for them to leave is if someone living within the walls accompanies them. So, when the servant tried to agree, rather than being pulled out of servitude, he instead pulled that human into hell, right into the middle of the throne room."

"I remember it rather vividly, as does Aranea I'd imagine. One moment, we're listening to Marax drone on about the expansion of the guard, and the next, a human materializes and falls from the air. I'll never forget how he looked around, dark blue eyes filled with shock and terror. I will not lie, it was just a bit...captivating. Of course, it was my first look at a human, and to see something that looked like a demon and yet not, it was odd. Of course, the look of terror was the last one he wore, since he was killed on the spot. They dragged away the body before my father could bring it upon himself to take a good look at the intruder, quickly going back on with the meeting as if nothing ever happened."

Kuro couldn't think of how fitting it was. The King was a very busy demon, of course he wouldn't bat a common demon and eye, much less a pitiful scared human.

"Well, would you look at that," Kuro finally managed, finishing up whatever was left on her plate, before leaning back in her chair, "Looks like you can tell a story decently."

"I'd hope so," Corvus said, brushing a hand through his hair, "I've spent many millennia being tutored by only the best."

"...And then you had to ruin it by talking more," Kuro sighed, shaking her head. Of course, she wasn't being serious, if the stupid childish smile on her face said anything, but with a full stomach and a calm atmosphere, she was beginning to unwind. Satan knew she needed this, "Seriously, you can't just take a damn compliment? You don't have to act like egotistical rich boy all the time?"

"Oh?" Corvus said, an almost playful look in his eye, "Well, if that is the case, I'm sure that you don't have to be an apathetic kitty cat all the time."

"Okay, first off, never call me kitty cat again," Kuro said, a smirk on her face as she poked her finger at him, "I hate to admit it, but I'd prefer Kitten over that."

"Suit yourself, Kitten."

"Shut up. Second off, have you taken a good look at me?" Kuro muttered, gesturing to herself, "Might as well put lazy in my name, that word is a part of me. You know what, Lilim Kuro 'Lazy' Akuhei. I could totally rock that name. Or just Lazy Kuro Akuhei. Still has the same ring to it. When you decided to steal me away from home, I hope that you knew that you were being set up to marry this."

At first, Kuro cringed slightly at her choice of words. She could only take a joke so far, something she'd learned from years of hanging around a bar and drunk demons. But, to her surprise, all Corvus did was raise the hand he'd been holding this entire time, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew that, no matter what, you were the one and only for me."

Now, Kuro didn't have too much experience with this. Normally, her only type of interaction with the other gender was through the team, whom of which would never say anything like that for fear of her wrath, and her targets, who never got enough time to even think to try and kiss her ass.

So, this being the first real time he'd been genuinely sweet, added to how this was the first time anyone has ever really tried to flirt with her, of course it would end in something bad.

...All of that was just a way of me telling you that she turned so red. She was every shade of red. She was so red, Bob the tomato, on whatever kitchen counter he resided on at that very moment, got so mad he exploded.

Of course, Corvus thought it funny and cute, "If I were aware that you were capable of blushing, I would have tried this tactic a lot sooner."

"Oh, shut up, General." Kuro scoffed, looking away in embarrassment. Of course, she'd blushed once before around the guy, or maybe twice who was really counting, but the first time and the only clear time that came to mind was because he had no shirt on.

Thus, it didn't count!

At least, not in her book.

"You're adorable." Corvus cooed, much to Kuro's growing (playful) irritation and embarrassment.

Of course, it had to come to an end the moment someone else walked in. As if on instinct, Kuro whipped her head around, expression dropping when her eyes met the ones of cold gold, "Oh, hey, Arc." Kuro murmured.

While it would feel odd to have said nothing and just leave the guy awkwardly there, she quickly regretted saying the spider demon's name when Corvus' head whipped around, his almost easy-going expression changed to one of enmity thinly veiled by the shit eating smile, "How kind of you to join us, dear brother."

"A feeling that I share with you." Aranea said with a dismissing tone, before turning to Kuro, "If you do not mind, Kuro, I'd like to borrow a bit of your time."

As much as she wanted to hang out with the spider prince, Corvus stepped in before she had a chance to do so, "I do apologize, but I believe that she's not interested."

"She has her own mouth," Arc insisted, once again ignoring Corvus, "Now, if we could please speak, Kuro?"

"No." Kuro said, cringing at how forceful and almost angry she sounded. Not that she really had any other choice, if she had gone along, there was no doubt that the king would find out and, if she were to die, who knew who else would get dragged down, "I'm sorry, but...I can't. Not right now."

To this, Aranea's eyebrows narrowed, before giving both her and Corvus a look. She didn't need to turn around to know that Corvus was wearing a smug grin, "What did you do to her?" Even if he had been ignoring Corvus, there was no room to doubt that he was angry, directing said emotion onto his brother.

Kuro gulped, the once calm air being replaced with heavy strain, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Aranea." Corvus sighed, slowly rising from his chair, "But, while we are on the topic, I'd like to ask; have you done anything...questionable?"

"Are you trying to imply something?" Aranea scowled slightly, meeting his challenge, "Do not try to put this on me, Corvus, you're not as coy as you attempt to paint yourself."

"And what, pray tell, is that supposed to mean?" Corvus asked, meeting his brother in the doorway.

"You know exactly what I'm speaking of, you dirty crow." Arc said through closed teeth, not stepping down, instead glaring down at the ever so slightly shorter older brother, "She's been acting just a bit differently for a while now, hasn't she?"

"My thoughts exactly." Corvus scowled, before pushing Arc back, almost childishly so, "But, it's not as if small petty words can do anything to turn back the hands of time now, can it?"

"Something we can agree on." Arc snarled, anger and irritation flooding his expression, before pushing Corvus right back, "Petty words can't settle an altercation like this, can it?"

"Indeed, it doesn't." With a low growl, Corvus lunged.

While Arc didn't seem entirely surprised, he stumbled back, nearly falling backwards in the hallway. Kuro dashed out after them, "Come on, don't fight!" This was getting out of hand.

She wasn't stupid, both thought that the other had done something so horrid, something tragic enough for her to act differently. Of course, it wasn't like she was trying to hide it at times, the idea of masking her expressions at all times largely overshadowed by the towering fears of everything else, but it was only now that she realized that such a thing should have been higher on the list, "This is childish, and you both know it!"

But, as children tend to do, neither of them listened to a word she said, instead going all out. As narrow-minded and arrogant as Corvus seemed, that didn't amount to him being the weak frail hide-behind-my-power demon.

Kuro cringed when Corvus' fist connected with the side of Arc's head, nearly throwing him into a wall, "Corvus! Stop it! You're going to hurt him!"

"It's only fair, beloved." Corvus said, as if landing blow after blow upon his brother's head was just another routine thing for him, "After what he's done to you, it's only fair I bestow upon him the same gratitude."

Right before he could land another punch, Kuro grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to stop, "Do you not hear how stupid you sound right now!? Back the fuck off already, you've made your point!"

For a second, Kuro could have sworn that she could see just a bit of reevaluation in his eyes. But, it didn't last for long, as Arc came back at him with a fury, a harsh kick right for the back of Corvus' knee, "As if I'd submit to you and your arrogance so easy!"

Before Kuro could protest, Arc firmly yet gently pushed her out of the way, out of harm's way, before going to kick the Crow while he was down, "Do you dare to assume that I'd ever hurt her? You ignorant fool, all I've ever done was stay by her side, allowed her to grow and flourish! All you ever wanted was to hide her away, keep her all to herself!"

"Arc, calm down!" Kuro said, her voice squeaking, as she looked around. Half of her wanted to go and find help. She could only do so much to stop them physically, but at the same time, she feared that if she were to leave, she'd come back to a vile crime scene.

"You'd understand that as normal if you were to ever have a mate." Corvus growled, catching Arc's leg, before turning around, quickly enough to throw the spider demon to the ground, locking his leg in place.

Corvus held the spider demon down, going back to delivering hit after hit to his face, "Come on, get off of him!" Kuro shouted, attempting to pull him off to no avail.

"Prince Corvus, what is the meaning of this?"

Marax had always seemed to come in clutch when the time called for it, but Kuro couldn't help but feel lucky when the captain of the guard made his way down the hall.

Kuro half expected Corvus to wave him off, maybe toss some I'm-the-prince-and-what-I-say-goes bullshit Marax's way, but instead Corvus backed off, that shit eating grin back on his face, "I'm simply ending a rather taxing argument, no more and no less."

Marax looked like he wanted to say something, only to shake his head, helping Aranea up to his feet. Kuro looked over his face, only to wince. It looked like his right eye would soon go black, as well as a few bruises and gashes littering his face. Of course, being a demon, it wouldn't take too long to heal those, but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt any less, "My prince Aranea, are you alright?"

Arc could only manage a nod, looking almost pitiful as he leaned on Marax, depending on his for support. Marax then proceeded to give Corvus a look, "I hope you realize that your father will be hearing about this."

"He'll understand my reasoning when I come in to explain." Corvus murmured, before holding Kuro close, keeping a firm hand on her shoulder, "I was merely protecting what is mine. but, by all means, if you would like to testify against me for the approval of my father, go ahead and be my guest."

Marax only sighed, giving him a rather forced but still polite bow, before walking away, helping Arc with each painful step.

All the while, Kuro couldn't help but cast Corvus fearful looks. too think that she had been calmly chilling with him not too long ago. He had so easily flipped from calm and happy to nearly mindlessly angry and ruthless. Bipolar didn't even begin to explain this demon's problems.

No, it was one of the many issues.

"I'd do it again for you, you know."

Corvus' voice brought her back from her thoughts, "I'm sorry?"

"If he ever hurts you again, I don't care for what others may think," Corvus said firmly, "Even if it's only a scratch, just the faintest sign of some sort of damage; I will not hesitate to kill him where he stands. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Kuro said, a light joke not enough to get this tension off of the back of her neck. She needed to go outside, some fresh air, something to help get her mind off of this entire mess, "I hope you don't mind, but I could use a bit of...alone time, after all of that."

She winced, subconsciously thinking she sounded a bit blunt, only for Corvus to move to the side, a faint smile on his face, "Do as you please; if you need me, I'll either be up in the library or in our room."

Kuro nodded a thank you, before rushing off. She didn't even notice she was sprinting until her breathing grew heavy. Yet even then, she didn't stop running. She didn't stop until she had thrown open the doors to the garden, breathing heavily once she was amongst the flowers.

She made her way over to the bench, light headed and scared, before sitting down, head held in her hands.

As if Satan breathing down her neck wasn't enough, now she could get in trouble for something like this as well. Two demons, rich and not bad looking ones at that, fighting over her like children.

"My life is a fucked-up fairytale." Kuro groaned, just about to rip her hair out as her mind went into overdrive.

Would the King chalk this up against her? Kuro shook her head, no, Corvus wouldn't allow it, that was for sure. But still...Jeez, she couldn't take it. If the stress didn't get to her, drowning under all these problems in her mind would surely do it first. Or no, wasn't that the same thing?

"Prince Aranea said that I could find you here."

Kuro jumped, instantly going into fight or flight, only to realize that it was probably a bad idea to attempt to punch a guard clad in armor with only her bare fist.

Of course, the realization only came AFTER the attempt.

Kuro cursed, cradling her left hand, before giving Marax a sort of look, "Thanks you the heart attack. Though, next time, try harder so I have a bigger chance of dropping dead."

Marax ignored her, taking a seat next to her, "...He assumed that you'd be here."

"Don't play the damn pronoun game with me, Marax."

"Prince Aranea." Marax sighed, before finally removing his helmet. He shook his head, allowing his hair to be free and hopefully drop the curse of helmet head, before going on, "The moment I helped him to his room, he wanted to go back. He worried that Prince Corvus would attempt to...damage you, as he put it. The moment I told the Prince against it, he commanded that I go look for you, to make sure that you are safe."

Kuro shook her head, fighting the smile that threatened her face. It sounded so charming, after all the hell that he'd gone through, he was still worried about her, "That idiot should worry about himself first, dude took a whole ton of hits to the face." She then faced Marax, "Will he be okay?"

"He will recover, at most it'll take a few days." Marax insisted, looking a little hesitant, before patting her almost awkwardly on the back, "Do not worry, he will be fine."

Kuro grunted in response, before drawing her knees in, holding them close to her chest as she sat on the bench. As she sat in silence, her mind began to go off, thinking and forming ideas and ideals, only for them to be forgotten in favor of a new one.

As was common for her mind, before one thought grabbed her attention, "Marax, when is the next time that you'll be able to get out and communicate with the team?"

"I could assemble a squad to do an inspection through the Rift within the next two hours," Marax said, before looking to her, "Why do you ask?"

"If you have the time, I'd like you to send Shax and the others a message." Kuro said, eyes and tone filled with nothing but tenacity, "Tell him that, if he wants a time opening, go for within two days' time. Everything is going to, well, hell, and it's going there faster. The sooner we launch an attack, the better."

Marax sat there silently for a second, "...Of course I can relay the message, but I still have a small question to ask of you, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead and shoot, my dude." Kuro sighed, slowly willing herself to relax.

"You have more than that reason to ask for a frontal assault at this time, don't you?"

"Haha, no wonder you're probably Vale's only one true, almost gay, friend. You two are so alike." Kuro said with a small grin, "I won't lie, every second I spend here, I feel like I have to constantly watch my back. It was never safe before, but now...This is too much. Either I'm going to be killed or I'm going to get others hurt, neither of which I want."

Kuro rubbed the back of her hands, trying to soothe the phantom aches, "Call me a coward, but all I want to do is run. Once you bring it up with Shax, he'll understand."

Marax sighed, before standing, "Understood, I'll relay the message as soon as possible."

To this, Kuro grinned, before reclining, finally able to relax, "Thank you, Marax; I think that I can finally retire just a bit, you know, before the stress and anxiety gets to settle itself in once again."

"Do as you please, my lady." Marax said, bowing once more, before leaving Kuro in peace.

Finally alone, she did what she could to try and keep that air of peace and serenity for just a bit longer, anything to escape from the dread breathing down her neck.

* * *

 **I don't know if you guys notice, but I love dropping Ciel Phantomhive winks and nods here and there. This one has got to be my most obvious yet.**

 **Of course, it's not our Ciel, but I was trying to write it so that it seemed like a sort of distant-not-so-distant ancestor, but hey, anything and everything counts, right? I'm thinking about putting him in the very last chapter, but I'm not too sure yet.**

 **On a different note, as this story goes on, I can't help but compare it to the story on DeviantArt that I based this off of, and how different the two are.**

 **Of course, the entire idea came from forevergotenandbra, the only thing from me were, well, you can tell when you check out her story.**

 **Have I said that before? I probably did, but who cares, doesn't hurt to make it seem like I'm a commercial, right?**

 **Lol, jk, I swear guys, I'm not a sell out.**

 **However that would work.**

 **...Where was I going with this again?**

 **Ah, who cares, no one's keeping track!**

 **I hope.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll cya next week for the next chapter! Or, even sooner if I can get it written out quickly enough!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	30. His Fair Lady, Once a Deadeye pt1

**Hi hi!**

 **So, finally, one last flashback to the glory days of Kuro and Yoru.**

 **If we're being honest here, part of the reason I put this chapter here is because I'm still trying to decide how the climax of this story is gonna go.**

 **That and I feel like I don't do the Pre!Kuro enough justice, you know? There's just this huge sort of difference from the Kuro then and the Kuro that's forming now.**

 **Anyway, enough time waste, let's move it on!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

The day had finally come.

Kuro sat at the table with the four other demons, still rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. The day had started by being awoken thanks to an Abraxas who managed to sneak into her apartment, grab her by the ankle, and pull her off of the bed with one firm pull.

Of course, Kuro returned the favor, as evident by the way that Abraxas was clutching the side of his face at the given moment, but other than that, nothing else was really abnormal.

"And we're sure that it's going down today?" Zagan questioned, looking over the maps with so much confusion and bewilderment, as if the maps spoke in a different language.

"The spies I sent out this morning confirmed it," Vale insisted, rolling his shoulders. He stood off to the side of the room, looking over a newly installed shelf to hold a few shard weapons. He took a lance into his hands, weighting it as he went on, but not before throwing a few photos onto the table, "Dajjal got me pictures, we have evidence of Kroni leaving to go to Limbo, and from what I've gathered on Winter, he has been within Ahiania for the past week or so."

"Which would make the secret trade of information appreciated, by both parties." Shax finished, taking a sip from his cup.

Kuro found it weird, Shax owned a bar, but he was never really known for drinking. Just a small temperance quirk, she guessed, but still intriguing enough for her scattered mind to pick up.

"So, lemme get this straight." Abraxas sighed, pointing to a red dot on the map, "We're assuming that, because Winter's been staying here, that's where the deal is going off?"

"That's the best conclusion we have at the moment," Vale sighed, "Unless, of course, you have any better ideas?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Abraxas murmured, grabbing a pencil, before moving forth to the map, "So, as we all know, Limbo is the smallest area in all of hell. And, thanks to our king, he had a large building put in the middle."

"I assume that you are speaking of Hitama tower?"

Kuro nodded along with everyone else. Since Limbo was where the human souls went, it made sense to set the place up as a basic prison. Of course, assuming that prisons would fry and burn their victims until it got boring and some demon decided to take them out as a meal to go.

"Judging by the height of Hitama tower, if I, or anyone really, could get to the top, we'd have a clear and nice vantage point." Abraxas said, circling the tower, "The only real problem of this tower would be breaking or sneaking in."

"Which would mean that, if you were to be moved up there, you'd need someone else to help you break it." Shax concluded.

At that very moment, Abraxas sent Kuro a pleading look. While this morning's events were more than enough to leave the boy to die, she gave a small scowl at the attempt of puppy eyes, the effects only rising when she imagined his hood down, "I'll help."

"But we need you to be tracking Kroni." Vale insisted, seeming to sense that something was going on.

"But I need someone quick to help me get into that tower." Abraxas said back, before hitting Zagan's chest, "Besides, I'm sure that Zagan can do it."

"The words 'Zagan' and 'nimble' do not go well together." Vale murmured.

"But, Abraxas and Kuro do work best together when it comes to the fighting aspect." Shax noted.

"Well, she's even better on the ground with me when it comes to covert and stealth." Vale fought back.

The two engaged in a small battle of the minds and willpower, something that happened more than you'd think between the two "good friends", before finally, Vale gave in, "If you think you're so smart, so be it. Even if you call the shots, you should at least consider a second opinion."

"As soon as you get on the ground, you may begin to call the shots." Shax said, as if he was giving Vale some sort of consolation prize, "But, I say that we go with Abraxas' play; it is the safest, logical and, in the long run, raises the chance that you all come home at the end of the day."

The way that Shax said it sounded so...final. Kuro hadn't been a part of the team for too long, heck she was considering dropping it all after Kroni was forced to kick the bucket, but it didn't change the fact that these demons have become family to her.

At any other time, she could have gagged at the word, but the thought of one of them dying, one of them not making it back, added to the way that Shax expressed it, it drained all the stupid fun from the job and replaced it with that sense of mortality.

to which, of course, was quickly shaken away. Of course, they'd all make it back.

"It can be done." Vale sighed, solidifying what Kuro knew to be true, "That'll leave Zagan and I to tag both of them. I was going to have Zagan be back up, but this should work just as well."

"So, just for a quick recap before you all depart," Shax murmured, rubbing his forehead as if this was a bigger headache than he had originally thought, "Vale, you'll be dropped in first and tagging Winter."

Meanwhile, Abraxas absentmindedly fiddled with Kuro's hand, causing her to slap his hand away, giving him a look.

"I already have a current location on where he is," Vale insisted, before popping his com into his ear, "If I reach out to some other associates within the area, I should be there within the next half hour."

This led to Abraxas pinching her thumb, which was once again met with an irritated look, one that did not pair too well with the stupid playful grin on Abraxas' face, an expression slowly infecting Kuro's face.

"Good," Shax nodded, before turning to Zagan, who was now absentmindedly fiddling with a knife, "As for you, Zagan, you'll be on Kroni as soon as you arrive in Limbo."

Kuro, finally deciding the indulge the follower of gluttony with what he wanted, grabbing his hand before setting her thumb down, Abraxas doing the same.

"Yes!" Zagan said, as if that had been the only thing he had managed to understand, "I can do that!"

"Which leaves you two," Shax said, giving Abraxas and Kuro, who were, at the moment, caught up in an intense thumb wrestle, "To the tower."

"I get to play bodyguard, for once." Kuro grinned, pinning Abraxas' thumb down, as she looked over to Zagan, "No offense, big guy; but I wanna try out the role for once."

Zagan didn't reply, already invested in all the weaponry Vale had brought in for the new racks, unsure what to go with.

"Well, all of you get ready to depart." Shax murmured in a dismissal tone, before going down the stairs, most likely to wherever he retreated to during these missions for communication.

Of course, growing to know the guy decently well over the past month or so, she knew that was his way of saying he cared.

Meanwhile, Zagan stretched his arms out, his long coat making him look even bigger, if it were possible, "Well, I have what I need! Vale?"

"As am I." Vale nodded, before looking to Abraxas and Kuro, "We leave as soon as you two are ready."

Abraxas nodded, waiting for the two to be alone, before going over to the rack, "Kuro, come over here real quick."

Kuro nodded, walking over as she put a small pistol into a holster that resided on the belt under her hoodie, before giving the weapon in his hands a look, "I thought you were kidding when you started talking about a bow-."

"Well, I made those jokes for a reason." Abraxas grinned, holding out the bow and a quiver of arrows to her, "But hear me out."

"I know that you prefer knives and whatever you find in the field, but the bow and arrows are really light. It won't hinder your mobility."

"But I've never really used a bow before." Kuro sighed, why was he so insistent on the whole long-range weaponry thing? "Besides, a sniper and a bow really aren't similar in anyway."

"Still, I'd feel a lot better if you had it," Abraxas insisted, "Besides, I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly when you have to. You're seriously stupid smart like that."

"If only I had other smarts." Kuro finally muttered, grabbing the weapon, throwing both the quiver and bow over her shoulder, like a backpack, tugging at her jacket sleeves to make sure it wasn't too snug, "Alright then, I got everything, you ready to head out?"

Abraxas grinned, slinging his own sniper over his shoulder, "Don't worry about it, this whole mission I mean." Abraxas said with a grin, "It'll be like any other mission. Shax just wanted to sound all dramatic because this was the only real time he'd get a chance."

"He'd better be." Kuro murmured, making sure that she had a few extra knives on her, before nodding, "Well, when we get back, I expect a sniping rematch. 'Cause, let's be honest, those stupid yellow sunglasses of yours help you cheat somehow."

"Tell you what," Abraxas grinned, handing her an ear piece as they made their way for the door, "When we get back, not only do you get a rematch, but you can use the sunglasses, alright?"

"A done deal, my red panda friend." Kuro said, a huge stupid grin on her face,

"With every passing second, I regret ever showing you what I have under this hood."

* * *

The moment they went through the gates of Limbo, Kuro could feel the change in atmosphere.

The usually almost-uncomfortable heat from the rest of hell was gone, leaving a sort of chill running down Kuro's spine. Of course, it made no sense since this was one of the only spots in all of hell were the ground had been left in its natural state, with fissures and puddles of lava all over the ground.

As soon as they had arrived, Vale broke off from the team, dashing off to intercept wherever Winter was at the moment, quickly disappearing into the, well, hellish landscape.

Kuro snuck about the area, Zagan and Abraxas not too far behind. While the sniper was no good in close combat, Abraxas looked intent on using it as a sort of club with the hold he had on it. Zagan, much like herself, had a small knife on hand and ready to go.

It ended up being a lot easier to sneak around Limbo then initially thought. Of course, they had to duck down whenever shackled hordes of corrupt souls were forced to walk by, but other than that, there was no interference.

Finally, Zagan broke off from the group, but not without first giving the two a huge smile, slapping Abraxas on the back before going off.

"You know, I hope the big guy doesn't get caught." Abraxas whispered back to Kuro, as he le d the way to the Hitama, "When he walks, I swear, the very ground shakes."

"I know I've heard that from somewhere." Kuro muttered to herself, before shaking her head, "This is supposed to be a stealth mission, you idiot. Keep quiet."

"I can't help it, I talk when I'm nervous."

To this, Kuro gave the back of his head a look, "You lead me out of the safety of the bar saying that this would be another normal run. I knew you were full of shit, but this is a whole new low."

"What? Oh, no, I'm not worried about this mission, not one bit." Abraxas said, turning around quickly to give her an apologetic smile, "There's just something else on my mind, sorry."

Kuro nodded, not pressing it. It was an unsaid agreement, if you don't elaborate and it's not important to the matter at hand, you don't push it.

Finally, they rounded one last corner, before they stood at the base of Hitama tower.

It looked very...edgy. As in the team who built the place either worshiped the gothic way or had an employer who did. Either way, it looked dark, borderline creepy and almost depressing.

"I take it that you're just gonna walk in through the front door." Kuro muttered, noting how no one was around the base of the tower.

"Looks like it," Abraxas grinned, before turning on his earpiece, "Looks like I really didn't need back up, huh, Kuro?"

 _"I'd hope not. If that's the case, I allowed you to trade me Kuro for Zagan for no reason."_ Came Vale's irritated voice.

 _"Well, with her being quick and on the ground, she'll be the easiest pawn to move when the time calls for it."_ Shax said through the com link.

"Oh, I love you too, great chess master." Kuro grumbled, tightening her grip around one of the knives, before looking to Abraxas.

It was agreed that she'd go in through the front door, posing as a new worker before offing singular guards here and there. Of course, the mission was to target the two who wanted to make the deal, but there was nothing against needless violence thank Satan.

Kuro watched as Abraxas locked something to the front of his sniper, aiming for the top, before shooting it. A line was shot up, much to Kuro's amusement, "I didn't know that I'd be working with the famous Batman on this."

To which, Abraxas gave her a look, before tugging the line twice, zipping up faster than the eye could track. With a deep inhale, Kuro finally pushed the doors open, a knife tucked away in her jacket sleeve as she faced off with the startled demons within the base level of the building, some of which already going for their weapons.

Oh, this was gonna be fun.

* * *

This was no longer fun.

Kuro wiped the blood and sweat dripping from her forehead, gun in one hand while the other held a knife, giving an irritated look at the still oncoming guards rushing down the hallway. She'd only made it to the fifth floor, and being how there were at least twenty, she wasn't making much progress.

 _"Kuro, do you copy?"_

"What do you want, Vale?" Kuro sighed, shooting another one down, "I'm kinda busy at the moment."

 _"Good, I didn't think that the direct communication would work. Anyway, there seems to be some sort of interference within the tower,"_ Vale droned on, as if he hadn't heard a word she'd just said. It wasn't really something she could get angry with, a gun going off isn't exactly soft, _"The higher you go up, the worse the connection to us will be. I am not able to get a hold of Abraxas, so I'm assuming that he's alright at the top of the tower?"_

"He Spidermaned his way up there as soon as he could," Kuro muttered, before ducking under a thrown axe, watching as it impaled itself into the wall behind her, "Now that I'm in here, fighting my way up, I can see why he bailed as soon as he could."

 _"Well, the faster you get up there, the better."_ Vale said, before the line went silent for a moment.

Before Kuro could ask, the connection cut, much to Kuro's irritation, "Can you believe this guy?" Kuro sighed, looking over the slowly dying demon in the corner of the room, as if she wasn't the one to put the knife deep into his chest, "He goes ahead and drops something important on me, and right before he can say anything, dude just dramatically drops the line! Guys these days, am I right?"

She sighed when the now lifeless demon slumped over. With a sigh, she looked around to make sure that no one else was going to jump out of nowhere, before pulling the knife from the guard's chest, "How rude, you're just the same."

With a tired groan, she trekked her way over to the stairway, going to clear the next floor. In the back of her head, it was repetitive and tiring work, to the point where she was wishing that she had just stayed on the ground. It wasn't like Abraxas really needed her to clear the tower, not when he had just decided to basically fly up to the top.

Hopefully, Abraxas was having a field day at the top.

* * *

Finally settled at the top of the tower, Abraxas looked all of Limbo over.

He quickly whipped out his yellow tinted glasses, pulling them on before situating his sniper. From where he was, he could see a light blue-tinted demon. Without a doubt, it was Winter.

"I've got eyes on Winter," Abraxas said, looking about the area, "I can also see Kroni. He's closing in, at least half a mile away. He's got a whole party with him too, maybe it's a lack of trust thing."

He then looked about to the other rooftops, "I've also got a few snipers on some of these rooftops, at least five visuals in total. Some of these guys aren't even trying to hide, what a joke."

"You guys are so glad that I'm on your side and not theirs," Abraxas said in a teasing tone, "I may be a screw up, but at least I have a level of professionalism. Am I right, boys?"

He frowned when there was no sound coming back, before looking back around. He couldn't see Vale or Zagan, which he supposed was good. If he couldn't see them, the chance of the snipers spotting them were even lower, "Hey, guys, you copy? If you're ignoring me like you did during that Myrrka incident, don't forget how I got you all back in Erith."

Nothing but more silence.

"...Guys?" Abraxas tried once more, before switching to personal direct links, "Hey, Kuro, I think that the connection is out, tell me that at least you can hear me."

He scowled when nothing but static came in, before looking back through his scope, taking aim for the back of Winter's head. Of course, he wouldn't shoot prematurely, but to have it tracking what he thought would be the biggest threat wasn't a bad idea.

But, little did he know that, somewhere close and behind him, a figure stood silently, waiting for their own cue to strike the unsuspecting sniper.

* * *

The higher up she got, the easier it seemed to be when it came to clearing out the floors.

There were a few floors where there was no one there, as if left behind in a hurry. That's what kept her on edge, while it was great that there was no one and that she could take a breather, it kept the apprehension.

Where was everyone? Had they fled at the first sign of danger? No, there was no way that a demon could ever even think to be so cowardly. Especially when they have strength in numbers, right?

What if they were out, calling for back up? For all she knew, they had run back to the castle to gather reinforcement and back up. If that were the case, they could close in on the tower, effectively trapping both herself and Abraxas in.

But no, they wouldn't, right? Limbo was said to operate on its own. Sure, they took orders from the King, in the end no one really denied the guy, but they also didn't rely on the Capital.

Right?

Kuro shook her head, she could worry about that possibility later, right now she had to clear out whoever didn't seem to get the memo and get to the roof.

From what she had heard once, Limbo had a sort of special set of guards, to make sure that they didn't have too much interference with the rest of hell.

Of course, like many other things, it was just a rumor passed around on the streets. She could put it up on the list when it comes to real things, right in front of love, but behind Leprechauns.

It was at the eighteenth floor that she took a short breather. Rubbing her forehead, she looked down to see the blood coating it, before using her jacket sleeve to get the rest. It was only then that she noticed that she was basically lightly coated in the stuff. Of course, it was to be expected, clearing out demons with only words and a pretty face often didn't go too well, but she had no idea how the stuff also managed to get all over her face.

She stopped in a room off to the side, ridding her face from as much of it as she could, before she heard a door close down the hall.

Kuro stiffened, as she quickly made sure her gun had ammo loaded up. She could hear a faint hissing down the hall, to which she didn't understand. She'd cleared this floor, she was gonna head up to the next one. Who else could be around?  
There were no footsteps, only that same hissing and clicking sound, which she didn't get. She knew how to be quiet, but she had no idea how the hell someone could be soundless.

"Huh, I thought that the one to do this would have been a bit more...fearless."

Kuro jumped, the voice coming from right next to her head, before turning to shoot. She was met face to face by nothing but black wisps of smoke covering a small smile.

The bullets went right through, forcing Kuro back into the hallway. The mist materialized, making her curse, "So that's the special force that Limbo's got. I thought that Shades were fake."

"Just about as fake as that gun your pointing at me." The demon grinned, the voice unmistakably feminine. It was hard to tell on sight alone, since the mist whipping around the figure, only allowing anything to be seen for a few seconds at best, "Not that it'll do much. If you know what I am, then you should be able to know what I am able to do."

Kuro cursed, knowing what she was talking about. Shades, from what legend said, were incorporeal. Bullets, even if they were shards, would do nothing.

She didn't know if knives did the same though.

"You know, when the two of us were brought in, I assumed that the souls were trying to escape," The Shade went on, a cruel smile on her face. Her voice was way too sweet, and she was talking way too much, "But then they told us that it was their own code red, and that all the others were going to secure the souls...I knew I'd have some fun."

With a snap or realization, she could almost see a younger version of herself in this Shade.

And, judging by that sickening smile, the Shade noticed it too.

"But you don't seem as fun as I assumed you'd be." The Shade sighed, taking her sweet-ass time to talk, as if the gun and knife didn't affect her.

Honestly, Kuro could see why it wouldn't.

"Well, why don't you stop talking and show off a bit, huh?" Kuro murmured, knife held tightly in her grip.

The Shade didn't move. She didn't flinch, didn't speak, nothing. The only sign that she was still alive was that she had her head cocked to the side, just a bit.

That was the only warning Kuro got, before the Shade's shadow leapt out.

Now, normally, Kuro wasn't someone scared of a shadow. She wasn't someone that childish, to be afraid of the dark, but looking at how the jagged black outline lashed out, breaking through the wall as it avidly, Kuro knew that it would do the same to her skin just as easily, "Aww, I thought that you had wanted to play a game!"

Kuro groaned, feeling a stabbing pain in her lower abdomen, but kept moving. She dashed into a room full of desks, before ducking behind one of them, knife held out at the ready, "Oh, a game of hide and seek? Goodie, I'd love to play! My counterpart doesn't like playing games with me, I don't know why."

Kuro was ready to go out shooting and slashing. She was ready to jump out, lashing at the Shade, only for the advance to stop.

Kuro took her chance, peeking out the side, only to notice the Shade gone. Now that she was, the tense air was gone, the shadows didn't look so...sinister.

Kuro was ready to just take a break there, a small breather and self-inspection. That throbbing pain was still going strong, but it was more irritating than painful. Knowing her luck, it didn't hit anything "vital".

And so, the follower of Sloth was ready to just take a nap, doze off for just a bit.

 _"You know, when the two of us were brought in, I assumed that the souls were trying to escape,"_

To that, Kuro groaned, smacking herself in the head, before forcing herself up. Checking her gun once more, she got to the stairs as quickly as possible. Surely, with what the Shade had said, no one was left around. That meant she didn't have to waste more time looking around.

Not that they'd matter anyway, who needed a normal guard force when you've got a Shade?

Hell, it gets even worse when you realize that there are at least two of them.

* * *

Vale scowled, looking up to the tower.

He wished that he still had communication with the Hitama tower team, but he could still make do with what he was given, "Zagan, do you see anything on your end?"

 _"I can see a few snipers on the top of some of these buildings, but other than that, nothing much."_

Vale scowled, peeking back around the corner. Winter had decided to make himself comfortable on the streets. He had set himself up a table with two chairs, he was sitting in one, sipping something out of his cup, as he took in the landscape.

to this, Vale scowled; what a damn privileged demon.

 _"Anything new on Abraxas and Kuro?"_

"I have no way of communicating with them, Shax." Vale sighed, once again looking over what he had. Three knives, a small hand gun, and his handkerchief. It already wasn't much for him, but it would amount to even less if he had to go toe to toe with Hiems.

He scowled, nearly ripping at his hair. He wished that, for once, Shax listened to everything he had to say. No more of this "I'll pick what I want to hear and go off of that" bullshit. Shax could have stood a chance against Winter, and he knew it, but no, he didn't want to risk his ass when really, even Zagan could operate the communication.

Vale sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, before looking back up to the tower. If he squinted, he could see the top, but that was it. No sniper barrel peeking out, no stupid hoodie-covered head popping out either.

He shook his head, keeping a bitter laugh to himself. Could he really depend on either brother, at this point?

* * *

Kuro kicked down the door just in time to see the second one.

It stood over Abraxas, said demon breathing heavily. One hand was over his side, the other trying to ward the Shade off with a knife.

The Shade stood over him, looking a bit more regal and less childish than the other one. It turned to her, giving Kuro a look, before whispering, "I wasn't aware that there were two of you."

Yep, another female.

Jeez, were Shades only female!?

Kuro didn't have the chance to ask when the Shade held its hand out, a scythe being thrown up from the ground, right into her grip, "This one proved to be much too easy," She had no real emotion in her voice, she sounded similar to a machine, "I doubt that you'll be much of a challenge."

"...Have we met before?" Kuro grinned cockily, before ducking under the scythe. Good thing about fighting against it, it wasn't like it was a small and easily looked over weapon.

The Shade didn't waste time with words, like the other one, so Kuro filled the silence, "I'm not kidding here, I swear I've seen you around before," Kuro went on, narrowly missing the scythe once more, "but hey, what do I really know, I've got a shit memory."

The Shade scowled, about to retaliate with something, only to gasp, dropping the scythe. Confused, Kuro looked to where the Shade was, only not noticing the silver gleam of a blade, before the Shade growled, muttering angrily before melting back into the shadow.

Now, with the Shade gone, Kuro could look over Abraxas. She grinned, offering a small stupid wave, only for her hand to drop.

From afar, she couldn't see his face.

"Dude, what happened to your eye!?" Kuro whisper-shouted, quickly rushing over.

Abraxas grinned, using one hand to push her off, "Calm down, mom; it's below the eye. I'm good."

"No, you're not 'good'." Kuro grumbled, looking to the sniper that had been tossed to the side, most likely out of shock. It was then that it hit her.

No way he could shoot like this.

Abraxas seemed to get it too, as he laughed, clutching his side as he did so, "Wow, I've got my brother's luck."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Kuro scowled, before looking over the tower. It was a nice view, she had to admit, and a great vantage point. Maybe it was from all that training, but she didn't have to squint to see where everyone was down there. She could easily see Vale, and Zagan, Kroni approaching, and…Was that Winter sitting at a small dainty little table?  
"Man, what the fuck." Kuro grumbled, before looking back to Abraxas, "...You cover my ass. There's only two of them, but that's all that I know of."

"Oh, yeah, I can totally do that." Kuro could hear the damn sarcasm but chose to ignore it. She looked over Abraxas' sniper, only to groan. It was seriously heavy-looking, but it wasn't like she really had a choice at the moment.

"I seem to get what I want when I want it," Abraxas said suddenly, taking the knife that Kuro pressed into his hand, before getting up, "But, since my parents couldn't get it right twice, I seem to have gotten the short stick of luck."

Kuro gave him a look, before kneeling to be eye level with the sniper, the training kicking in rather smoothly despite the stressful situation, "What?"  
"You asked what the hell I was talking about," Abraxas said, shrugging, "I explained."

Kuro was ready to tell him off, only to hear gun shots going on down there. With a frantic look over the side of the tower, Kuro took aim, only to laugh cynically, "Damn, Zagan really is bad at the whole stealth thing, isn't he?"

* * *

 **These damn flashback chapters have so much, like damn.**

 **I never mean to have them so long, but before I know it, I have to make it into two parts.**

 **Sorry, I guess I'm going to make you guys wait longer.**

 **It was only after writing this that I realized that I based the two Shades off of Lilith and Lizzie from my other story, My Shadows.**

 **I asked a friend of mine to read the characters through because I thought the two Shades felt a bit repetitive, and then she brought up that they were similar to the two half sisters from my Slenderman fic (which I plan to write more for, but that's a different story).**

 **So, with a quick revise, I made them a bit more similar because hey, why not?**

 **Why I took the time to type this all out, I really don't know, but it's just a fun little side note.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, and with luck, the next chapter will be about soon! Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	31. His Fair Lady, Once a Deadeye pt2

**Hi hi!**

 **I really don't have much to say at the moment-**

 **Amy: Then allow me to do the talking.**

 **Me: Fuck, I thought that I had patched up that hole in the 4th wall...**

 **Amy: I'm sure you know why I'm here.**

 **Me: No, Amy, you honestly most likely will not be getting a sequel.**

 **Erin: You realize that if we don't get a sequel, you're gonna have a dirty revolt on your hands.**

 **Me: What are you talking about!? You already got one!**

 **Erin: No harm in jumping onto the bandwagon!**

 **Lilith: While these two idiots are usually wrong, I have to agree with them at this moment in time. You promised us sequels at one point.**

 **Me: Well, sucks to suck, life is life. Promises be broken all the time.**

 **Miu: Well t-that's not nice.**

 **Amy: I can see the me in you. It's sickening.**

 **Erin: Agreed.**

 **Me: Can we not go on with this? I have a chapter to get started.**

 **Amy: Hey, if this is your kingdom, you're nothing without your people!**

 **Erin: Yeah, we're gonna revolt!**

 **Me: Come on, I have another story planned for after this, so tough!**

 **Amy: Have you forgotten that oh so long ago, you decided to give a majority of us superpowers?**

 **Me: You can't do anything if I decide to start the chapter now!**

 **Erin: You wouldn't dare-**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Vale scowled where he was, slamming the back of his head into the wall behind him.

Damn Zagan.

The idiot was currently standing before Kroni's squad, hands held behind his head as Kroni's group held him down.

Kroni just stood there, in all his damn glory. His short silver hair stuck up, brown eyes the only warm thing on him. He wore a white dress shirt and black dress pants, similar to Winter's attire, just a bit more formal, "Hiems! It's been a long time, has it not?"

He spoke as if it was a casual meeting, ignoring how his guards were shaking down Zagan for weapons, effectively making Vale frantically looked up to the tower, cursing to himself. If they had just stuck to his plan, none of this would have happened!

"It has, Kroni Xotam, it certainly has." Hiems said, but he wasn't looking at Kroni. Rather, he was looking down at his former bodyguard, all while absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head.

From what Vale had managed to get from Shax, Zagan had been the one to nearly bust in Hiem's head with a vase, smashing it in the process. So, in reality, it made sense.

"Oh, look at you, still as formal as ever, I see." Kroni grinned. With the way he acted, it looked like he owned Limbo. But, with the air that Winter had, it was obvious who was in control, extra men or not, "I see you've got some pleasantries set."

"It is the formal thing to do." Winter said, before gesturing to the table, "Of course, for a guest of your caliber, I know it not much, but it shall do."

"Well, now I feel bad." Kroni admitted, before shrugging, "You see, I've got quite the tight schedule, you know with Skinner up my ass with the whole territory war and that new guy thinking that he can run Bloodbath. Don't even get me started on all these other stupid groups popping up left and right. It's a heck of a lot to talk in, you know? But I'm sure that you've more than heard of it all."

"Indeed I've heard." Winter went on, before going back to sit down at his chair, "But, you must agree, it would be rude to turn down a simple request before I give you the information you seek."

As pretty as he tried to make his words sound, there was no mistake to the frost in his words. He wasn't asking it, he was commanding it.

Finally, with a sigh, Kroni nodded to his guards, "Very well, I can do just that much."

Kroni walked over, sitting down on the other chair, as Winter poured him a cup, "I see that you've brought a present along with you." Winter said, finally addressing Zagan, "Hello, old escort."

"Found him up on the streets," Kroni spoke on, doing his best to keep a conversation going. Vale could see it, that cold sweat on the demon's forehead, "Seemed to be following me, but I know how much you enjoy a show, so I figured that he would be a great addition to our little trade. I hope that you do not mind?"

"At this moment, of course not." Winter said, seeming to dismiss it, before the two went on to speak of business.

 _"What the hell is going on down here!?"_

"Zagan's caught," Vale sighed, groaning and he rubbed his forehead, "We still have no connection to your brother and his stupid follower, and now I'm the only one that has a chance to do anything."

 _"Well…"_

Vale scowled when he said nothing more, "What's the game plan? Come on, Shax, don't leave me hanging!"

 _"...The only chance that we have out would be if you had some tower support right now."_

"Fuck." Vale cursed, before looking back up to the tower, "Anytime now, you two. I swear, if the both of them are off doing something else…"

His invocation was answered with a pop going through the air.

Both Winter and Kroni looked off to the side, "...Did you hear something?" Kroni murmured, Winter standing up.

Vale inspected the guards and Zagan, both of which looking equally confused. So it wasn't Zagan.

His attention was directed to where Kroni was walking over, inspecting what seemed to be...No way, was that a fallen sniper?

"I see you decided to bring a bit more then your usual squadron and my old escort," Winter said nonchalantly, "And here I thought that you trusted me."

"As you can probably tell, you can't trust too many people these days." Kroni shouted back, before looking around, "Which one of you did it!?"

Vale looked up to the tower. Judging by the direction that the sniper fell over, the shot had to have come from Augue. If he squinted, he swore that he could see the barrel of Abraxas' sniper, "About time, you gluttonous coward." Vale scoffed, a small smile tugging at the edge of his mouth.

"And you have more then one. To think that your distrust runs this deep." Vale heard Winter scowl. He looked over to see the Elemental's eyes narrowing, before looking to Zagan, "Or is it you? Wait, not likely, I hired you as my guard for a reason."

"It was none of them, so that would mean…" Kroni murmured, before scowling, giving Winter a look, "Is this your doing?"

"You dare to ask such a nonsensical question?" Winter scowled. Vale was loving this, maybe this job wouldn't be as harsh as originally thought, "I come here, out of my way, to help you and give you the information you so eagerly desire, and this is my thanks."

Vale took some time to look over to Zagan, who was nodding towards him. He knew, Zagan knew; Abraxas and Kuro hadn't left them to die.

But, before anything else could be said or done, a searing pain blossomed into his shoulder. It was only then that he had noticed that, in his need to hear more, see more, he had slowly been exposing himself. With a curse, it was then that he realized that he should have formed a plan before letting it get this far to begin with.

Kroni noticed as Vale tried to hide himself once again, a dark grin creeping across his face, "Well, will you look at this, Hiems! It's been awhile since I've heard from you, Surith Braxtar! Of course, after what happened at Nyryth's party, I'm going to assume that you're not who you say you are."

Vale scowled when he felt a gun barrel pressed against his forehead, looking up to meet the eyes of some other stupid Kroni guard.

Kroni, being the cocky guy he was, stood off to the side, but Vale could see it. The Fool was scared, "Now, you're gonna go ahead and drop whatever weapons you've got-."

Just in time, the demon pressing the barrel against his head dropped, allowing Vale time to grab the fallen gun, holding it up and out towards Kroni, "Better swallow those pretty words and run back to whatever cover you had."

 _"Someone thinks that they must sound so smooth right now, huh?"_

"Say what you want, Shax; but it looks like Kuro is rubbing off on me."

* * *

"They're back!"

Kuro scowled. She was about to shoot down another round, only to be forced to duck when a familiar scythe flew over her head, "Damnit, Abraxas; you have one job."

"Well, I didn't ask for my face to be all fucked over!" Abraxas shouted. The Shades seemed more then occupied with Abraxas, as Kuro lined up for the next shot. Looking through the scope, she could see that, not only was Zagan caught, but they know had Vale as well, "Jeez, I swear, I have no idea how the four of you made it this far in life." Kuro sighed, before taking down another sniper.

The next shot nearly missed, with the demon holding Vale at gunpoint being pretty damn close, but when she saw the body drop, she allowed herself a tiny fist bump to the air in that moment.

Once she was sure that enough panic had been about evenly expelled, she lined up the next shot the moment she saw Vale grabbing a gun, firing to cover his retreat to somewhere safer. Taking a moment, she noticed Zagan looking right back at her, a huge grin on his face, before she went to take out his guards.

The moment that was done, Zagan seemed to be rejuvenated, as he fought to rise. He seemed to pull out two sets of brass knuckles from his boots, before proceeding to go all out. In all honesty, he looked like he was playing the best game of whack-a-mole in his life.

Taking a step back, it really looked like she had evened out the odds.

Kuro was going to shoot once more, only to feel something throw her over. She ducked under the second shadow, not noticing that she had pulled the trigger, before Abraxas finally managed to intercept, which allowed Kuro to look through the scope once more.

"This is probably the worse place to snipe." Kuro grumbled, reloading, before firing down, catching another sniper.

"I have no idea what your talking about!" Abraxas shouted from another side of the tower, sounding like he was trying to make light on their given situation, "You cannot get higher then this without a good old bag of weed!"

"Just shut up and defend me, will you?" Kuro scowled, lining up the next shot. From up here, she could see that Kroni and whoever he decided to bring going into a panic, Zagan seeming to be having the time of his life. Vale, while he looked to be nowhere in sight, Kuro imagined that there had to be a reason as to why some of the guards were just dropping.

As for Winter, well, he just looked irritated. There he stood, in all his glory, with his hand in his face. His table had been knocked over in the chaos, but he didn't look to angry about that.

If anything, it wa everything else that was probably pissing him off.

Kuro lined up the next shot for him.

She'd heard stories, seen him in person, but neither would be preparing her for the shitstorm he was known to cause if she allowed him to keep kicking.

So, with a sigh, she pulled the trigger…

Only for it to click.

Kuro scowled, moving the gun to the side, "Abraxas!"

"Busy!"

"I'm out!"

"Still busy!"

Kuro growled, left to no other choices, she pulled the bow off of her shoulders. Pulling back the draw string, she groaned. It felt so...weird.

But, right before she could, something pushed her back. Kuro just barely caught herself from falling over the edge of the tower, allowing herself a second to breathe, before ducking under another swing of the scythe, "Abraxas, dude!"

"You understand what busy means, right!?" Abraxas growled, his voice sounding as if it were all over the place.

Kuro scowled, searching her pockets, before managing to pull out a small knife. Just in time too, as the Shade made another swing for her head. Kuro ducked under, managing to roll forward, before throwing the knife up.

It was then that Kuro took note; it would appear as if Shades were able to be hurt when taken by surprise.

That, or the black ooze that was coming out of this Shade was something else that Kuro didn't want to think about.

The Shade shambled back, cursing as she covered her abdomen. She shouted something to her sister, or whatever the other one was, before sinking back into the ground, a scowl on the Shade's face as she went.

Kuro couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit smug, before looking over to Abraxas. He caught her eye, dodging under another weird shadow-thingy, "You give them support, I can keep this one busy!"

The Shade looked like she was about to protest, only to have Abraxas, somehow, hold her attention.

Meanwhile, Kuro sighed, drawing an arrow. Just like a sniper my ass, she thought, drawing back the bowstring.

Now that she was looking back down, even without a scope, she could see that Winter was gone.

Kroni was still down there, looking like he was shouting around orders, but with all of his snipers down and most of his men cut down to half, it looked like it would be a quick retreat.

Kuro tried to level the bow, growling when she couldn't seem to aim it just right, but let it go anyway.

It didn't hit Kroni, but it caught one of his close guards in his shoulder.

"Hey, don't go wasting those arrows and our time!" Abraxas shouted from wherever he was at, "Just focus and draw back! From the looks of it, they're falling back away! This is just target practice!"

"What happened to you being busy!" Kuro shouted, pulling back another arrow, before letting it fly. This time, it embedded itself into a wall nearby Kroni's head, "I swear, I'm going to walk over there and take those damn yellow glasses soon, I can't aim with this!"

It was seconds later that Kuro noticed how it went uncharacteristically quiet. Kuro slowly turned around, only to see Abraxas standing there, just as confused.

Kuro looked over the edge, head cocked to the side, "...What the hell was going on?"

Kuro whipped around, arrow drawn, when the door was thrown open.

Vale stood there, covered in blood, looking out of breath, "We need to leave, now." He seemed to be rather fine, even with the blood seeping from where he was shot, his hand not seeming to do much to stop it, but it wasn't like he was gonna drop anytime soon.

"But we're not done here." Kuro grumbled, looking over the edge. Kroni was backing out of Limbo, Zagan deciding to stick to hit-and-hide runs, since he was nowhere in sight. Looked like he wasn't all muscle after all.

"I don't know who, but someone here sounded alarms," Vale hissed, keeping his head down, "And I don't know about you two, but I don't want to be here when they call in some reinforcements."

"But we took care of them," Abraxas murmured, pulling his sniper back over his shoulder, "Two Shades. They're both gone."

"Ever think that there could be more then two?" Vale scowled, before shaking his head, "Look, there's a clear way out of Limbo from here, all we need to do is get back to the ground floor. Zagan's already on his way out."

"So we're retreating?" Abraxas sighed, "Shax won't be happy with this."

"We're not retreating, we're falling back before Limbo is filled out." Vale murmured, looking around, "Now come on, we have to go!"

"Think about it, Abraxas," Kuro muttered, shouldering the bow, "We should leave while we still can. There was some time between the first alarm and the Shade's appearance, enough time for us to get out of here if we run now."

"...I hate it when you logic." Abraxas growled, before following Vale out the door, "Fine, but if we have to fight our way back to the bar, I can't promise to be of much long range use. I'm out of shots."

"As if the stakes have ever been in our favor," Vale grumbled, practically pulling the other two along with him, "Now hurry up before Zagan is overrun; or worse, caught."

* * *

Escaping, surprisingly, wasn't the hard part.

If anything, it was the easiest damn section of the whole mission.

The moment they got to the bottom, Vale easily maneuvered them out of Limbo. It looked like that map of the place wasn't on the table just for show, since Vale knew where to speed past, duck down, or take out an unsuspecting guard.

The whole way out, they only say one other Shade, but other than the few unfortunate guards, they weren't seen. Even when climbing over the fence, no one bothered them.

"Won't lie, I kinda expected them to be a bit more...vigilant." Abraxas grumbled, dropping off on the other side of the fence, "I mean, I know that Limbo is pretty chill and all, but come on, that is the most relaxed and casual I've ever seen any type of work force."

"Well, they didn't really have eyes out for us," Vale reasoned, helping Kuro get down, "they're looking for demons who broke in, not really for those breaking out."

"Even if they are one in the same." Kuro hissed, her hair having been caught in the fence more than once, before settling herself next to Vale, right on top of what seemed to be a ledge for runoff...Whatever fell from the sky in hell, "I swear, I will cut all this damn hair off. It's a giant curly mess most of the time!"

Before Kuro could go off on a long rant, she was pushed to the ground by Vale.

"Is that what I think it is?" Abraxas grumbled, slowly taking his sniper into his hands.

Kuro managed to push Vale off, taking a look around, only to gulp.

As much of a coward as Kroni seemed to be, he did know how to arrange and command a small army.

They honestly looked more or less scattered about to a point, but it was still enough for it to be intimidating in the sense of sheer numbers.

"Okay, don't worry, we can get around them," Vale sighed, before pressing a button on his com, "The plan has gone to shit, Shax. We're gonna head back to your place."

To this, Kuro cursed. All that planning, preparation, all of it falling through because...what, Abraxas didn't want her to be on the ground?

"Alright, it looks like Zagan is already on his way back...Okay, the minute that we can, we head straight back for the-."

Vale was cut off when a gun went off. Kuro instinctively ducked down, holding her head between her hands. The shot must have hit the wall next to her or something, since her ears were still ringing. Hell, she didn't know that her ears could ring.

Once it stopped to the point where her skull didn't feel like the inside of a bell, she looked around, her expression dropping.

Where did Vale and Abraxas go?

She ducked and ran for cover when the gunfire started up again, lunging to duck behind what looked to be a broken-down wall.

Kuro looked over what she had, only to groaned. She was stuck by gunfire, with nothing but a bow and set of arrows she really didn't know how to use, and a few knives that she had managed to shove into her boot.

Kuro rubbed her hands together, only to look down, cursing. No wonder her luck has been going to shit as of recently, she'd left her ring at home.

With a groan, Kuro pulled at her hair. The next time she took the ring out, it was staying on her finger, period.

Kuro looked around, listening to anything. the firing had stopped, but that didn't mean that all signs of life had. She listened for footsteps, which she got a lot of, dropping her head with relief when they got quieter.

She snuck out around the back, head down and knife out and at the ready. She wasn't lost, at the very least she could get back to the Rift, and from there it wouldn't be too hard to get back to the bar.

Turning the corner, Kuro looked around, sneaking around the corner. When it came to being kept hidden, it was surprisingly easy for her, despite what Vale liked to call her "outlandishly" loud personality.

With a soft chuckle, she took a moment to laugh at herself. To think that she was in this mess to begin with all because she was just a bit too good at being invisible.

She was thrown from her thoughts, something she should really be familiar with by now, when a heavy set of footsteps came her way.

Judging by the sounds, there were at least three heading her way. With a scowl, she readied the knife, not that it would manage to do much in the event that they had guns-

"I want every corner searched, you hear me? If you find anyone, those damn problimatic vermin, even Winter, I want him dead, do you hear me?"

Kuro groaned, holding her head. Seriously, the only threat this guy had was the fact that his voice alone would be more than enough to make anyone drop dead. Jeez, dude sounded like he never made it out of puberty.

That's when it clicked. From where she as, she could take out one, maybe both, guards. If she could manage that much…

Kuro took a moment to slowly pull the bow off of her back, shaking her head. Assuming that she could aim, this wouldn't take too long. And after all was said and done, well...Meh, she'd figure it out when she got there.

With whatever courage/stupidity she had left, she rolled out from her hiding spot, coming up on one knee, an arrow already drawn.

She didn't really bother to aim, simply letting go of the bowstring within the rush of the moment. She nearly whistled in amazement when one of the guards dropped, before rushing to the side to avoid getting shot.

Kroni, doing what he could to look intimidating she guess, laughed as he puffed his chest out, "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise!" Kroni said, as Kuro once again ducked down off to the side, pulling out another arrow. She cursed when the damn thing got caught in her curly hair, ripping it free while vowing to get it cut soon.

You know, if you lived through this.

And even after, she had a shit memory, so…

"You never did know when to stop sticking your head into things that don't concern you." Kroni tsked similarly to how a disappointed father would sound. At this point, with Vale and Shax basically looming over her at every second, it was a tone she was use to.

"I really thought that they would have found you before you decided to disappear, but hey, as long as you were out of our hair, I guess." Kroni murmured nonchalantly.

Kuro gagged, he was such a try-hard, it hurt.

"But now that we know you're alive, as leader of the Azure's, I have to be the one to set the example." Kroni sighed. Kuro peeked out from her hiding spot, just long enough to see Kroni reloading a gun, before ducking when a bullet went whizzing by.

She pulled an arrow back when she heard footsteps getting closer, before popping back out, letting the arrow go, only to curse when it hit his other bodyguard in the arm, ducking down to make sure that Kroni didn't get the chance to put a bullet through her head.

"You managed to steal quite a bit, from right under our noses, didn't you little kitty cat?" Kroni went on. It was then that Kuro wondered why the coward didn't run away. That seemed to be something he was rather fond of, running away and hiding behind others, when it hit her.

With the way he bragged, it was possible that he didn't even see her as a threat.

To this, Kuro grinned.

Famous last possible thoughts.

It took a while, but Kuro grabbed three arrows at a time. For once, ammo wasn't a problem, so if she could lay down a large enough area, maybe she could catch him off-

Kuro was forced out of her hiding spot when Kroni seemed to materialize around the corner, firing point blank.

Kuro jumped back, thanking Abraxas for running her through close-combat with a long-ranged weapon. Of course, Kuro always assumed it to be stupid, but right here and now, distance was key.

She let the arrows fly, one of them catching Kroni right in the shoulder. It was enough of a surprise to make his drop his gun, allowing time for Kuro to drop her bow and grip her knife, dashing forth.

The last thing Kroni would ever see would be the little harmless girl, one he didn't deem worthy to run away from, sliding a tiny knife into the side of his neck.

Oh well, sucks to suck, I guess.

* * *

This was an...odd moment, to say the least.

It all started when Kuro walked in, covered in blood. In one hand her bow, the other holding on tightly to the hair of the recently expired Kroni.

Of course, they didn't know what to expect when Kuro walked in in such a manner, but the tense air was cut through when she grinned, holding up the head, "So, where do you want me to put this?"

She seemed to have arrived during an argument between Shax and Vale, evident by the way Vale was holding Shax up by the collar of his shirt.

The moment she walked in, Shax was dropped, Vale's face, for once, holding a dropped jaw, "...Kuro...How…?"

"Well, that's a story for another day, yes?" Kuro grinned, tossing the head to Zagan, who caught it right before it could sully the pristine floor, "One thing's for sure though, I'm tired and I could use a drink."

Zagan decided, with the approval of Shax, to put the head down on an already dirty table, while Kuro tossed her bow and quiver to the side, before slumping over on the counter.

Hence, the current situation.

All five of them sat at the bar, for once, Shax included.

He wasn't on the other side handing out drinks; for once, he was sitting between Abraxas and Vale, taking a cup from the many he'd set out and assorted before sitting down.

While it was quiet, it was still a triumph.

Kuro liked to consider it a somber victory.

Slightly awkward of course, but still a victory.

Finally, it was Vale to speak up, "I was ready to scrap everything and start back at square one."

"Oh, hell to that." Kuro grinned, "I did not get almost-molested for nothing."

"If I'm completely honest, when you put all the pre-missions to Kroni's assassination, that one was probably the smoothest one of all."

To this, Kuro chuckled, "If that's your definition of smooth, I'd hate to see it when shit gets rough."

"Trust me, Shax probably knows what happens when Vale gets 'rough'." Abraxas said. Like the lightweight he was, he was most likely already wasted, something Kuro never really bothered to question, "Heck, makes sense why Shax is always such a pain in the ass at times."

With a giggle, Abraxas slumped over for just a bit, looking like he had just lost whatever conscious and sanity left.

"Idiot," Kuro muttered, taking another sip, "I'd say that I'm irritated for him pulling me out of place last second, but we still got the job done, right?"

"Right!" Zagan exclaimed happily, before holding his glass up, "This one was for Nazun! Creepy some of a bitch was off and out of it sometimes, but if anything, he knew how to get shit done!"

"Regardless of how many lives he wasted and time he allowed to pass," Vale said, almost in a sort of nostalgic tone, raising his glass as well, "Of course, we can't leave out the one who managed to get the job done."

Abraxas made some sort of cheer from where he was, but being how it was stupidly unintelligible, she assumed it to be some sort of cheer.

To this, Shax sighed, hefting his brother up, "I will take him to his room, before he has a chance to make a bigger nitwit of himself."

With that, Shax and his brother left up the stairs, leaving the other three to go back to their easy-going silence.

"Well, I wonder, what happens now?" Kuro asked quietly.

To this, Vale sighed, "Well, I guess things go back to how it was before. I'll go back to babysitting Zagan-."

"Hey!"

"-Abraxas will go back to irritating Shax, Shax will go back to insisting that he's right, and Zagan...Well, nothing will really change for the guy."

"Hey!"

"But the one uncertainly, of course, it you." Vale went on, giving her a look, "What do you plan to do?"

Kuro took a moment to really think it out, leaning back in her chair. If they had asked a few weeks ago, when she was first pulled into all this crap, there would be no question.

The only time she'd ever come back would be for a drink, no more and no less on that.

I mean, when you really think about it, Kuro wasn't really built for this kind of life. It was a fun side job, if anything; running around while stealing stuff and putting people down. But she knew better then anyone, luck didn't last too long.

Especially when it seemed to really like to spit in your face at times.

But, looking around, this is the most she'd ever had. No thievery would ever be able to get her things to replace them, she knew that much.

So, with a sigh, she put her glass down, "Well...If I'm honest, it's not like I'd have anything else to do."

"Besides, with how much time I waste here with all the rest of you, it'll be hard to go back to being half as lazy as I use to be."

"Does that mean what I think it means, consort?" Vale asked, a small smirk on his face.

"I still don't know what hat word means, wiseacre." Kuro said with a grin, before punching Vale's face, "See, I can use big words too. Besides, just cause Kroni's dead doesn't mean there's any shortage of demons to kill. For money, of course."

"For what is the game without the money, yes!?" Zagan jeered from where he sat, throwing his cup of.

Vale had to lean away to avoid the liquids that came from the cup, before giving Kuro a small smile, "It's good to hear. I know that, to a point, Shax just sees you as a replacement to Nazun, but I'm sure that you'll be a worthy permanent addition to Yoru."

"I'd hope so." Was all Kuro could really say, before looking over the discarded bow. She'd tossed it to the side the moment she could, due to how particularly irritating it was to operate, but if she was going to spend more time here, chances were that she was going to not only have to properly learn to use that, but also a few other things.

Honestly, just whatever Abraxas decided to throw at her last minute.

But, for now, she didn't have to think about that. She was somewhere safe, with good friends and a not-too-shabby drink selection.

Yeah, she could make due with this for now.

"So, I know this probably isn't the best timing," Zagan cut in, pointing over to the severed head off on another table, "But we should really don't something about that."

* * *

The moment the two were in Abraxas' room, Shax threw the door shut, practically tossing Abraxas to the ground. Not that it mattered, he had known his brother for his whole life, he didn't NOT go that drunk so easily, "I know that you did it to get me up here, to talk to me personally."

Abraxas gave him a drunked glare, "Is that so, big bro?"

"Drop the act and tell me what you wanted. I do not enjoy my time being wasted."

With a sigh, Abraxas pulled himself from the ground, dusting himself off, before giving his brother a grin, "I'm pretty sure you know what I know."

To this, Shax's eyes narrowed, "That little stunt you pulled back there, last minute in the meeting room, it wasn't as last minute as you had us all believe, was it?"

"Wow, you really did get all the good stuff from our parents, didn't ya?" Abraxas grinned, before flopping down onto his bed, "But yeah, you're right. That was something I decided to think about before going through with. You should feel honored, big bro, I got that tactic from you."

"But why bother?" Shax pressed on. If course he knew that Abraxas wouldn't teach Kuro to snipe just because, he had a purpose. Of course, sometimes it could be for some sort of personal gain, but he had to hear it come from his brother's lips, "What's your end goal?"

"Think about it, just for a moment, Shax." Abraxas said, leveling with him, "Really, you should be thanking me right about now."

"It might have been you to basically order me to work with her, but that's all the control you ever had. Think about it, I've been training her up all for this."

To this, Shax's eyes narrowed, "And just why would you do that? If you claim to be as I am, that would also make you as insensitive as I'm told to be."

"Now, that's where we differ, big bro." Abraxas said with a smirk, "I care for her, won't lie. I've gotten to know her, inside and out. To a point, I can predict her."

"Oh? Someone as indiscriminate as her?"

"Yep," Abraxas grinned, making finger guns, "For starters, I know that, even though she can and she knows it, she won't be leaving us anytime soon."

Shax didn't like how he said that. There was something to his tone, something that made him want to check every memory, every phrase Abraxas had ever uttered.

He was his brother, yes, but he was still a demon. A demon with his own agenda, regardless of others.

"Anyway, hope you're happy, you now have two snipers." Abraxas grinned, before getting back up, playfully punching Shax's shoulder, "Honestly, I just wanted to see if you'd say thank you."

"I could say something nice, but just for you, I'll stick to telling the truth and/or staying silent."

"Well, I'll take it!" Abraxas said with a grin, before jumping when a loud crash came from outside the door, "Oh jeez, something tells me that Zagan ran out and is now looking for something else to drink. Better stop him before he manages to do something stupid, huh?"

"There are too many children here for me to keep my eyes on, I swear." Shax sighed, before making his way for the door.

"You don't have that many kids to look after, don't worry about it, big bro!" Abraxas said with a grin, as Shax left.

Of course, the older brother wasn't there to see Abraxas walk over to his desk, pulling out a piece of paper. He put down a check mark, before sighing, tossing the paper to the side, "...You know, I feel that, some time soon, I deserve a vacation…"

* * *

 **So, yeah! That has been how Kuro became the Kuro from the beginning of the story!**

 **So, as I'm sure you already put together, soon after, Abraxas leaves and Kuro fills in.**

 **I wasn't sure how to really portray that last bit, so I hope I did a decent part of at least trying with that last part.**

 **I feel like that's the only thing that Abraxas and Shax have in common. Their willing to use others, whether they're aware of it or not, to get what they want. I swear, Pride be the best type of demon out there.**

 **Fuck morality, right?**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop that Comment, don't forget to Like and Subscribe, and I'll catch ya in the next chappie.**

 **...One of these days, I swear, I'll get a YouTube account.**

 **What I'll do on it, I have no clue, but one day it'll be done.**

 **Well, till next time, bai bai!**

 **Amy: Hey, wait, what about out revolt!? I got these brass knuckles for nothing!? Damn, dick move Crimson, dick move!**


	32. His Fair Lady, Not Turning Back

**Hiya!**

 **Finally, we get to this part! Originally, I had about five different ideas on how to do this part, and I ended up writing each and everyone out just to see how they all would have looked, and I finally decided to go through with this one.**

 **So, without further ado-**

 **Amy: Now hold up just a minute!**

 **Me:...Fuck.**

 **Amy: You better believe that I didn't forget about that last chapter!**

 **Erin: She's dead set on this whole sequel thing, Crim; she made us go and get pitchforks and torches and everything.**

 **Lilith: If you ask me, someone's been watching too much "Beauty and the Beast".**

 **Amy: Shut up, Lilith! Now, Crim, hand over the sequel plans, and no one gets hurt.**

 **Me:...ONWARDS!**

 **Amy: YOU CHEATING PIECE OF-!**

* * *

"You're sure that Marax said today, right?"

Once again, Shax sighed, filling his personal backpack with things he'd need. If everything were to work out, he decided that the whole team deserved a nice bottle, "Yes, I know that today is the day, Abraxas."

To that, the younger brother grinned, the two packing stuff up in the bar, as footsteps came down the stairs, "Won't lie, as much as I love this place, but I've grown addicted to the fresh air up there."

"Something you've made quiet damn clear as of late." Vale said, stepping out, before tugging at his coat, "Shax, what do you think?"

Shax gave his oldest friend a look over. Vale wore a red suit with black dress pants. His face was covered with a simple black mask, a red star over the left eye. With the mask on, there was no way to tell who he really was.

"You look like an honorary member of Bloodbath." Shax said with a nod

"I never thought that connections to 'Lucky Luciano' would do me any good; but then again, that was before Analiuz went missing."

"We all know what that really means, don't try to sound so cool, Vale."

Shax looked up in time to see Sarlea, who had just came down the stairs.

She was dressed the same, only her mask was more grey then black, "Now, we remember the plan, yes?"

"Sarlea and I will go to the meeting and help convince the other gangs to attack. Once that's done, I drop off Sarlea and pick up Zagan here, before going to meet you guys at the other side of the gates. That's where Marax said he'd be, right?"

"Correct." Shax nodded, "And once we meet you guys there, the attack should already be under way, and we'll have Kuro out of here before we know it. Then, we make a break for the Rift, use Vale's angelic relic on it, and we'll get out of here once and for all."

"From there, we find the nearest human bar and try out what they have, eh?" Abraxas said with a large grin, elbowing Shax, "Bet you that they're not half as good as this place, eh, big bro?"

"We'll have to make it out of here before we can test liquor." Shax sighed. He grabbed a rather large leather bound book, thinking for a moment, before keeping it in his hands. If everything went sideways, as it always seemed to do, he'd need every last word in this book.

Finally, Zagan walked in from the kitchen, a small amount of soot coating his hands, "I take it that we will be leaving soon?"

"Indeed." Shax said, going through his mental checklist, "Did you burn all of the books?"

"Just finished." Zagan nodded.

"Alright, any last minute reminders?" Vale murmured, looking around.

"Everything is a time crunch. The sooner we get out, the better; but if we trip up, we're as good as dead." Abraxas offered.

"That's common sense, you dolt." Sarlea sneered, ducking when the follower of gluttony chucked a jar at her.

"We can use the comms, but keep in mind that we'll be in the Capitol district; there's a chance that others may be peering into our conversations. So, either keep it quick or coded."

"Easy enough." Zagan murmured, rolling his neck, "Gotta be honest, if all goes well, this coat may just stay on!"

"What?" Sarlea said, confused.

"Let's just say that you never wanna catch this guy with his coat off, that's when shit get's nasty." Abraxas said with a grin, as if remembering "fond" times, "But other then that, I think we're set!"

"Good...Well, I do believe that we're ready to put all of this into action." Shax murmured, looking over the plans on the table one last time. Nothing ever fell into place this nicely, something was always out of place. From the dates not matching to someone not being able to go, now it was all fine and dandy.

Must of meant that it would all go to-

No, Shax shook his head. He couldn't think like that. As cliché as it sounded, this would be the last time. After this, there would be a better future, for all of them, he knew it.

"Alright, all of you get ready. The moment everyone meets up at the gate, we make a run for it. No looking over the shoulder, no turning back."

* * *

Kuro pulled on a black tank top, shorts and her red jacket.

Finally, a way out of here.

Corvus had left in the morning, saying that he was needed for a meeting. If the attack went off at the right moment, that gave Kuro enough time to get out.

But, as soon as she walked out into the hallway, she sighed.

She was so close, but...It didn't feel right to just leave. There was something she's been avoiding, something she really didn't want to face, but still...She hated herself for thinking it, but it was the right thing to do.

Kuro crept down the hall, in the opposite direction of the meeting area. The attack wasn't supposed to go off just yet, so she still had time.

Finally, Kuro came to a stop outside the door. It took a lot not to just run in the other direction. Who knew what he thought of her after that fallout? Kuro always knew Corvus to be rather scary, but that...That was a whole new level.

If that was normal, she would hate to see the two brothers fight.

Before Kuro's hand even went for the doorknob, the door was pulled open for her, golden soulless eyes daring to glance back at her, "...I heard you outside."

"How'd you know it was me?" Kuro asked. He must have had his curtains drawn, since she could only see a dim outline and, of course, those golden eyes.

"I'd like to think that I know you quite well at this point in time." Arc said, standing aside so that Kuro could walk in.

Once the door was closed behind her, Kuro cleared her throat, "Look, Arc, we need to talk-."

She was forced to stop when Arc tore the drapes open, the sudden blinding light made her squint, before they widened in horror.

Arc's face was covered in purple welts, with a red slash mark right above his left eyebrow. He still looked as emotionless as ever, but Kuro could see the slight limp in his step, especially when she walked over, "Holy shit, are you alright!?" Kuro exclaimed, immediately taking his face into her hands, only to have Arc wave her off.

"It's only a dull throb now, there's no need to worry." Arc insisted, holding her hands in his own, before pulling away, "Now, you're here for something, yes?"

"I...I just wanted to talk to you." Kuro insisted, looking around. She had to admit, his huge triple king-sized bed looked nice, both other then the bed, everything else was basically like Corvus' room, "And I wanted to apologize."

"You do not control the actions of my brother," Arc said, waving it off before going to sit down on his bed, patting the space next to him, "As he does not control mine. I do appreciate it, you willing to be the bigger person in his place, but it is not you I want to hear it from."

"I...I understand." Kuro murmured, before sitting down next to him, pulling at her fingers. She didn't think it would be this awkward, really. She thought that it would be a quick in and out, one question with a simple yes or no answer, "...There's...Something else I want. Er, something else I have to ask of you."

To this, Arc seemed to perk up, just a bit, "Yes?"

"...If I were to leave, would you come with me?" Kuro asked, unsure how else to say it. She just...She didn't want to think of what would happen if she left him here, alone. If Kuro weren't to come back, what would Corvus think?

Surely, he, as well as the king, could have Arc put to death, easy. She just didn't want to put Arc through it, was all. Honestly, right next to Vanth, she probably trusted him most, closest thing to a friend inside the walls.

"Of course." Arc said, insistent, "I'd do anything to protect you, Kuro."

"Aww, thanks big guy." Kuro said with a grin, playfully nudging his arm, before clearing her throat, "So...Jeez, I don't know how to ask this...Umm-."

Kuro was forced to stop when Arc sprang upwards, his expression one that was alert, "Are you...Are you asking me to...Be with you?"

"What?" Kuro murmured, before shaking her head, "No I-Well, yes to a point, but not...Not like...Argh." She shook her head, before smashing her forehead into the palm of her hand, "Look, I'm...Planning on leaving."

Arc gave her a look, "...What do you mean by that?"

"I just...I got a few friends," Kuro spilled, before taking his hands into her own. They were ice cold, but she ignored it, "They're getting me out. I want you to come with. We'll both be safer, I know it-."

"No."

That stopped Kuro real fast, "...No?"

"No, I won't leave the castle." Arc said, shaking his head, before standing up, "This is the safest place for me; for us."

"Aranea, it really isn't." Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "Look, if you won't come with me-."

"No, you don't understand, you have to stay." Arc said, shaking his head, before giving her a look. He almost looked...sorrowful, in a way, "You have to stay here, where I can keep you safe."

Kuro almost wanted to laugh, "Arc, I doubt that you can-."

"No, you listen to me." Arc said, holding his head, before grabbing her hands, almost possessively, "Stay here, I can prove it to you, you know?"

"Prove what?" Kuro said with an awkward laugh.

"I can prove that I'm better for you."

With those words, the room went cold. Kuro suddenly felt very VERY unsafe. She could see it, if she looked deep enough into those golden eyes.

He was dangerous.

"Arc, please, you know that...That's not something in my control."

"But you still have a choice." Arc said, holding her hands, "I won't force you, but I can prove myself. Please, just...Everything I've ever wanted has gone to my brother. I don't want the one thing I need to go to him too, someone who doesn't even appreciate you and what you do."

Kuro wanted to turn him down on the spot. He didn't know how Corvus was beginning to change, slowly but surely. He was beginning to be more liberal, understanding. Of course, it's been trial and error, but he was getting better-

She stopped when she felt two hands grasping her shoulders, looking up into Arc's cold gold eyes, "I know you want to leave, I know you feel safer, but...You'll be hunted down. You'll be found and killed."

Kuro could only shake her head, trying to get out of his grip. For as lanky as he looked, he was surprisingly strong, but after watching Corvus throw him around, she just assumed it to be a royal bloodline thing, "Arc, come on, let go."

Arc looked as if he were about to lose it, before finally letting go, "...If you insist on running away...At least run away with me."

It was like everything she thought he was melted away. She always assumed that he was the opposite of Corvus, unable to really show emotion, but could prove it through actions, unlike Corvus who would act the part, but never mean it.

Now that she was taking a step back, she could see that, honestly, he was just as bad.

Kuro backed up, almost crouching. She went into fight or flight, ready to grab anything as a weapon, as Arc advanced, "That could be our compromise. I can still provide for you, I know it, but if you go, you'll be hunted-."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Kuro insisted, slapping his hand away when he tried to hold/grab her. She was honestly getting really sick of this "You-can't-handle-yourself" bullshit. It was too the point where she wanted to do it just to spite him.

Before Arc could go on, he doubled over, coughing. It was hard to tell due to his shadow, but Kuro was pretty sure that she saw some fresh blood on the carpet.

Taking this as her chance, she threw the bedroom door open, dashing out. She took one last look over her shoulder. With this visit, she had destroyed whatever good image Arc had left in her mind. That first impression, that assumption that he'd be different...Somehow…

She shook her head, leaving the spider demon in his coughing fit, unable to look at his writhing form any longer, "Goodbye, Aranea." Kuro muttered, before closing the door, shaking her head as she walked away, the sound of his coughing haunting her, just lingering for a moment too long.

* * *

It was another ordinary day for Vanth.

Being how there was to be a sort of gathering for some of the higher-ups, Ms. Sarai wanted her as far away from it all as possible.

From what she understood, apparently, she was the most problematic of a lot of the servants.

With a sigh, she pulled her hair back once more, tying it back with that oh-so-special purple ribbon, before going back to laundry work.

That was, until she heard the loud crash.

To this, she looked up, confused. It came loud and almost thunderous, and being how the current area she was in was close to the front of the castle, it must have been from or around the main gates.

Curiosity filling her head, she rose, brushing her dress before walking out of the basement-like area. One peek, that's all she wanted. One peek to see whatever was going on.

How she wished she hadn't.

The moment she got close to a window, her eyes went wide.

She's seen a lot during her service, and only more when she became the personal servant to Kuro. But never in her life did she ever think that she'd see an assault on the gates.

It was scary, to say the least. Having seen the Rift as a younger, tinier Vanth, she'd seen gang fights before. But never in a million years did she think she'd ever see all of them teaming up to achieve the impossible.

She could see the main gates, bending inwards on itself as demons climbed, stabbed and trampled their way over. It reminded her of an overflowing bucket, with the way that the Rifter gangsters were practically pouring over the gate. The guards looked as if they were stuck in the same stupor she was, the only difference is that they were quickly knocked out of it by murderous intruders.

Vanth was thrown out of it when heavy marching steps came, a huge battalion marching right past her. She did what she could to push herself into the wall, waiting just a while longer ever after they were gone, just in case.

She watched out the window as the new battalion, easily at least 50, ran out to help the easily overwhelmed gate guards.

It was kinda trippy, in a way.

"What are you doing here!?"

Vanth nearly folded in on herself, before swinging herself around, hands instantly going to pull at her fingers nervously, "I'm sorry, Ms. Sarai, r-really, I am, I just...I heard the fighting."

"Well, it's nothing of your concern." The elder demon scoffed, shaking her head, "You need to get back to work, young lady!"  
"But what is that a-all about?" Vanth questioned, only to regret it when Ms. Sarai shot her a cold glare.

"You're a lowly sanitation maid, you don't get to know." Ms. Sarai hissed, eyes narrowing.

Maybe just a bit too much of Kuro had rubbed off on her, or maybe she was, what did Kuro call it, "sick of this shit"? Either way, she almost had no control over her following words, as if they spewed forth much like the Rifters over the gate, "But what if I want to know?"

That, as per usual, was enough to earn a free slap to the face. Maybe Vanth was really just that fragile and tiny, but it was enough to force Vanth to the ground, Ms. Sarai, as per usual, leering over her.

"You think that that tone is going to fly with me, little girl?" The older maid spat, scowling. It was something Vanth was use to at this point, and in a way, she understood. Being head maide was stressful, and sometimes there weren't other ways of getting around it.

Vanth closed her eyes, expecting another punch, kick something...Only to be kept waiting. When she looked again, she nearly squeaked, her boss was slumped over, and irritated Kuro standing behind her, "If I had time, I'd throw her out the window just to make sure she doesn't get back up, but with the fight out there, best not to attract attention."

Vanth nearly threw herself at Kuro, hugging her tightly enough to make Kuro wheeze, "Well, if you're this happy over this, can't wait to see your reaction when I explain."

Kuro looked like she was about to go on, only to stop when she looked out the window, jaw dropping, just for a second. She then shook her head, before grabbing Vanth by the wrist, pulling her up and away, "I'll explain on the way, but it looks like I've been running out of time for a while now."

Vanth only nodded and followed, still a bit dazed but sure. If Kuro was telling her to do something, even while ignoring her current position, she'd do it.

"No way for me to lay this on nice, tried that out already and...Well, shit got ugly." Kuro muttered to herself, before shaking her head, giving Vanth a huge grin, "So, kid, you ever seen the surface?"

Vanth could have sworn that this question had been asked before, "No."

"Well, you wanna?"

Vanth sighed, shaking her head, "I'm under contract to the castle, I can't even leave without the permission and presence of a royal."

To this, Kuro's grinned widened, "Well, I'll be that royal. I hereby order you to come to the Surface with me and a few friends, we're breaking out tonight."

Vanth froze, almost unable to move. All that worked were her legs, which seemed to be coaxed into moving thanks to Kuro's tugs. There was no way that could be possible. Freedom was nothing more than an ideal from the outside, it was almost cruel to say the word out loud.

So, of course, when it was dangled before her, Vanth reached out to grasp it, "Yes." She said, voice cracking as she nodded, "Please, get me out of here."

To that, Kuro threw her head back, laughing, "No problem." She said with a grin, before running faster, basically towing her through the air almost.

Yep, Vanth thought with a small smile, just another normal day.

* * *

Leaning on the gate, Shax sighed, looking around, "Where is she? The fighting started at least ten minutes ago, we're wasting time."

"I'm sure she's hauling ass, big bro." Abraxas murmured. As per usual, he had his sniper over his shoulder. Not that it would be easy to use while running, but he could manage.

They were right outside the back of the castle. Being how the fights were drawing out all the guards, added to a meeting of the royal of royals, now was the perfect time. But every second was another missed opportunity.

Not to far away, but within the gate, Marax stood, keeping a lookout. He stood in his armor, helmet letting no expressions out, as he leaned on his haliberd, alert.

Finally, he seemed to perk up, weapon at the ready, only to stop when Shax shook his head, "I take it that the negotiations went well, Vale?"

The demon of Greed nodded, stretching, "Zagan is on his way, making sure to say his final goodbyes to Sarlea back at the bar."

"Never thought the big guy would care," Abraxas laughed, "I mean, dude's been irritated with her since way back when."

Shax only shrugged, before looking back up to the window. From what Marax had said, she'd be jumping out that window with...someone, Shax didn't know yet, and they'd run from there.

Of course, the second person could be a problem, but as long as Kuro trusted them enough to be taken along, he could agree to it.

"About time." Vale muttered, looking up at the window.

Sure enough, Kuro was throwing it open, taking a moment to look out the window, before jumping right out, landing on her feet.

She looked no different then she normally would have, ratty old-looking red hoodie, ruby ring, her hair even looked as if she didn't bother to do it, too lazy to bother.

Yep, good old apathetic Kuro.

She shouted something up to the window, and within seconds, a ratty maid-looking girl jumped out as well, screaming out before Kuro managed to catch her.

She then shot all of them a grin, "Sorry took so long. Won't lie, took some time looking over the mess you guys made out there. Great work, really. Looked like zombies trying to take over out there."

"Shut up and get through the fence, you lazy dimwit." Vale scowled, as Marax helped both girls over the gate.

"Better that over a greedy info-broker." Kuro shot right back, landing right next to him, before helping out the maid girl, "But we can argue about this AFTER we get out of this, well, hellhole, don't you agree?"

"I can agree to that notion!" Zagan roared happily, a large smile on his face.

To this, Abraxas slapped his back, "Good job, buddy! You're using decently bigger words now!"

"Much proud." Kuro grinned.

Finally, Shax sighed, shaking his head, before looking around, "We really should be taking our leave now."

Vale nodded, pressing on, only for Marax to clear his throat, "You all go on, it'll look odd if I have my men attacking and I'm not there."

Since Vale didn't really have the capacity to feeling anything, this was probably the closest he'd ever get to looking just...broken, "...I presume that this is where we part ways then."

"It seems so." Marax nodded. The two stoic men just looked at each other, the action almost enough to make both Abraxas and Kuro crack up, "...Well, will you do me the favor of saying hi to my little sister for me?"

"Of course." Vale insisted. More silence followed.

Finally, Marax nodded to all of them once more, holding out his hand to Shax, "It was an honor and a privilege."

"The honor was mine." Shax insisted, shaking the hand.

Marax nodded, an action he seemed quite fond of, before clearing his throat, "I'll be off then. Best of luck, to all of you."

And with that, Marax dashed off, to the front lines.

Abraxas offered a pat on the back, his hand slapped away before it could come anywhere close to Vale's head, before Zagan sighed, tugging at his coat, "Let us be going, yes?"

"Yes." Kuro said, catching the bow that Shax tossed her, as well as the quiver from Abraxas, "Knowing what's going on out there though, I doubt the worst is behind us."

"We do as we always do then," Abraxas grinned, cocking his sniper, before turning to Shax, "Fight, bleed and crawl our way through. No stopping till we reach that damn finish line."

"I'd drink to that." Kuro grinned, laughing as they group marched on.

"...Ever wish we did that slow motion thing? All of us, as a big group?"

"Shut up, Kuro."

* * *

Aranea doubled over once again, coughing hard as he pressed on. He was so close to the meeting room, only a couple more steps and he'd be homefree. Once he got there, the doors still wide open, he peeked in, undetected.

It seemed to be one of those "keeping-up-with-the-people" meetings, with many common rats, also known as nobles, filling the room.

He did a quick scan of the place, before sighing with relief, Corvus stood off to the side. Apparently, he didn't have to constantly be the center of attention.

Aranea walked over, ignoring all those who gave him flirty looks and suggestive winks. After all, he had his eye set on one demon and one demon only.

"If you're planning to sneak up on me, I'm afraid you can't do that correctly either." Corvus said right before Aranea could clear his throat, before turning to face him, a grimace on his face, "Have you no decency to clean yourself before showing up to a public assembly? If father could see you at this very moment, the shame would be enough to drown all of us."

"As much as I enjoy this back and forth, I do have something of importance." Aranea said, practically wheezing out the words.

"Oh? Do you? That's new."

The Spider Prince scowled, he knew where Corvus was trying to take this, "It has to do with Kuro."

the moment he saw the expression on Corvus' face, he held back the sneer. If it meant he could keep her, snatch her from under his brother's nose, it would be all the sweeter.

He could let her go once he was sure she'd return to her, after all.

"What. Have. You. Done. With. Her?" Corvus said through his fixed smile, as to not alert anyone within their vicinity.

"I've done nothing, dear brother." Aranea rasped, adjusting his glasses, "You should be asking what is she trying to do right now?"

To this, if he had blinked, he would have missed Corvus walking out the room, "Do I have your attention now?"

"No games, tell me this instant." Corvus nearly growled. Aranea took a moment to take in the shadow behind his brother with a small grin. After all, while younger, he always had a better control over his outwards apathy expression.

He couldn't help but wonder what would happen, if he told. Much like himself, Corvus hated getting his hands dirty. Bu what was he willing to do for his "sweet, little Kitten"?

Or rather, HIS sweet, little Kitten?

Before he could go on, both brother's had their attention captivated by the window, or rather, what was taking place outside.

Aranea almost laughed, what kind of laughable assault was this? "I see now why the assembly is taking longer then expected."

"Our King is doing his best to keep his subjects from panicking. While I don't agree with giving them the illusion of nothing happening, it seems to be working at the moment." Corvus sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, before shaking his head, giving Aranea a look, "Stop averting the main subject, what happened to her?"

Aranea sighed. He could imagine Kuro right there, asking and even pleading for him to stop. How she'd do anything to make sure that Corvus didn't know.

Aranea couldn't lie, the idea was...a bit more than just "desireable".

"I'll tell you, but I advise that you hurry, I don't know how far she could have gotten by now..."

* * *

 **Alrighty then, that happened, I hope you guys enjoyed and-**

 **Amy: Nope, not this time, not again!**

 **Me: God damnit.**

 **Amy: You think you're so smart, oh great and powerful author? A king is nothing without their subjects!**

 **Lilith: She's gone from Disney to wannabe Shakespeare. God help us all.**

 **Amy: You will not take our right to sequel! Hollywood is nothing without the actors!**

 **Me: Okay, do I look like Michael Bay to you? I'm not going to give you five and more stories just because explosions, alright?**

 **Erin: Jeez, they're both so damn dramatic.**

 **Amy: You're suppose to be on my side, Erin!**

 **Erin: The only side that I'm on is my own.**

 **Lilith: Great, the histrionic tendency is spreading.**

 **Me: Okay, you know what, I'm willing to strike a deal with you guys.**

 **Amy:...I'm listening.**

 **Me: After this story, I plan to try my hand at another Overwatch fic.**

 **Erin: Cause we saw how great that went last time.**

 **Me: Shut the hell up. Anyway, after that Overwatch fic, assuming that I don't end up cutting it short for reasons, then I plan to do a sequel.**

 **Amy: Yes!**

 **Me: I never said that it would be for you.**

 **Amy: FAQ!**

 **Erin: Well, who else could it be?**

 **Me: I'll tell you...In the next chapter!**

 **Amy: Don't you dare!**

 **Me: Hope you guys enjoyed, I live and breathe for reviews, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Amy: Crimson, I swear to anything holy-**

 **Me: Till next time, bai bai!**


	33. His Fair Lady, Fighter's Spirit

**Hiya!**

 **Amy: *Waving a sign around" WE DEMAND OUR RIGHT TO A SEQUEL-**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Of course things couldn't be easy from there.

Not that Kuro was asking for it to be, really; but a break every once in awhile would be much appreciated.

The moment they passed by the front gates, she could hear the other gangs still engaged in the fight. Abraxas, being the good guy he was, decided to fire off a few shots at the guards, just to help buy a bit more time.

Of course, the action didn't go unnoticed, as another squadron came rounding about the gate from the other end.

The charge lead by none other than Legion himself.

"We risk wasting precious time if we stay to help." Shax shouted, as he, as per usual, lead the group.

"We also risk capture." Vale shouted back, all of them continuing the sprint.

Kuro took a quick look over her shoulder, only to curse. Not only had Legion's reinforcements been able to surprise the gangs, but they were also slowly being pushed back.

Kuro's grip on Vanth's hand only tightened, they'd get out. She'd promised Vanth that they'd get out.

Kuro does not break promises.

the golden gates slowly disappeared for favor of the shoppes and rich manor-like houses.

"Ever wonder what those huge houses would look like on fire?" Kuro wondered aloud.

"Won't lie, I have!" Abraxas grinned, "Hey, when we get up there, wanna set one on fire, just for fun?"

"Hell yeah!" Kuro laughed right back, only to be cut off when she was tackled to the ground.

She was pushed and pinned there, able to give the sudden intruder a wide-eyed look, before a gun went off, his body sliding right off.

"And this is why I say we should do more running and less talking." Shax sighed, lowering the gun, before helping Kuro up, "We need to cover more ground faster."

"I don't think that stealth is an option anymore." Vale muttered, taking out his own gun, eyes trained on something behind them, "Fighting back isn't an option either, I have three bullets left in here."

Kuro turned and, sure enough, there were guards after them. They didn't seem to be lead by Legion, but still, they looked at least 75 men strong.

"The longer we stay here and fight, the more time we waste." Vale reasoned, turning to Shax, "What do we do?"

"We split up." Kuro insisted, her grip tightening around the bow, the other hand holding Vanth, "This place is a maze, but I think we can lose them. See those alleyways? If they all try to come at you in those narrow passages-."

"They'll either get stuck or get lost." Abraxas finished, before nodding, "We all know how to get to the rendezvous point, it'll be fine."

"Well, if that's agreed upon, we need to scatter." Vale said. Shax nodded, grabbing Vale by the sleeve. The two shared a nod, before disappearing into the alleyways on the right.

Abraxas, on the other hand, made a mad sprint for what looked like some sort of fire escape, slinging his sniper over his back and he scampered his way up; probably to see if he could try that "running on the rooftop" thing he was always talking about. Meanwhile, Zagan made his way off to the left, somehow easily disappearing, leaving Kuro alone with just Vanth.

Kuro pushed Vanth out of sight, ushering the much smaller girl behind her before drawing an arrow. Without a doubt they had seen then all scatter, so there would be a lot of them coming after them for sure.

In that event, Kuro had to be ready.

In any other case, where it was only herself to worry about, she'd be throwing out all the stops, taking all of the risks. But the tightening grip on her jacket made her think otherwise.

Vanth had to get out of here alive.

Kuro backed away from the main street, keeping herself facing it as she backed up, Vanth right behind her.

Just before they could turn the corner, Kuro caught a glimpse of the guards, before turning to grab Vanth's hand, "Book it, kid!"

She dashed down the alleyway, leading Vanth down passageways she hoped would be best. She didn't have to turn around to know that, however many they be, they were behind her and they were sure to close in if the two of them didn't move.

She moment the metal footsteps weren't too loud, she stopped, giving Vanth some time to breathe. Poor thing was too fragile for something like this, as evident by how she was wheezing and huffing, "...You okay, kid?"

Vanth only managed a weak nod, causing Kuro to curse softly. No way they could out run battle-trained blood-thirsty guards in this condition. Kuro thought about carrying her the whole way, only to shake it aside.

No way she'd be able to carry the girl and run the whole way. Even if the endurance of a Sloth follower was out of the picture, she was sure that those guards had something long ranged. With no way the fire the bow, what would she be able to do?

She nearly fired when she heard footsteps approaching, only to sigh with relief when Zagan ran into view, looking like he hadn't even broken a sweat, "Got some on your tail?"

Zagan gave her a look, knowing exactly what she was talking about, before nodding, "The armor makes it hard to hit them where it would hurt, my knives do nothing. Even if I stop to fight them hand-to-hand-."

"-They'll outnumber you." Kuro finished, groaning when she could hear the footsteps. She looked around for a bit, before shaking her head, "Trade ya." She offered.

Zagan seemed confused for a bit, before Kuro drew back an arrow, a look on her face. He then nodded, before turning to Vanth, throwing her over his shoulder, much to her surprise, "Promise me that you'll keep her safe?"

Zagan nodded once more, looking as if he'd offer some words of help, only to have his eyes widen. Kuro turned around and, sure enough, there they were. Since it seemed to be a smaller group, they either decided to split and hunt all of them, or got reinforcements.

She was really hoping for the first over the later.

She made sure that Zagan had already taken off, trying to ignore how the panicked screaming from Vanth, calling out her name, was getting softer, before drawing back an arrow.

While it was true, the armor would make it hard for the arrow to find their mark, Shax seemed to remember to pack the special ones.

Kuro let it fly, right into the middle of them. The moment the tip came into contact, it exploded, nearly causing Kuro to fall over. She shook her head, trying to get the dizziness out, before backing up, drawing another one back. She only had three left, but being how they seemed to be the only ones that she could use, she let another fly, before running.

While Zagan had run to the right, Kuro went in the opposite direction, hoping the draw them away. In the end, they were just mindless soldiers, right?

Kuro turning back around, making sure to run just fast enough so that they would follow, only to yelp, falling backwards to avoid the show of fire before her.

Vale and Shax seemed to be able to dispatch whoever had followed them, evident by the blood on Vale's hands and the fire in Shax's, "Don't fooling around and run, we can hold them off for a bit."

Kuro bit back her own sassy reply, choosing to instead nod, as she got up, drawing another arrow, "Sure you two don't need help?"

"We've got this," Vale murmured, before looking up to the sky, "If anything, we can keep shooting fire out, that's how you can keep us tracked."

"Won't have to, the smoke will be a good beacon," Shax insisted, before giving Kuro a look, "Quit stalling and get out of here!"

Kuro nodded, before dashing off, "I better see the two of you at the edge!"

"As if we've ever been the ones to keep the rest of the team waiting." vale shot right back, just a hint of teasing on his face.

"I'm a sloth follower, sleeping in is my thing." Kuro muttered to herself, as she dashed off.

Kuro had been hoping for it, but she didn't expect the back roads of the Capitol to be so maze-like, just like the Rift. The only thing telling her where she was going was the sky.

It had taken a while for her to notice, but the nearer she got to the Rift, the edge, the darker the sky got.

Of course, she wasn't able to really think it over for too much time, as the next corner she turned just so happened to hold two more.

They seemed to have been lost before Kuro stumbled in, causing her to curse and press forward, going back to Vale and Shax wouldn't do anything to help, "Hey, I saw one of them going that way, the one with the red hoodie!"

Kuro cursed, dashing on. While looking up to the sky was a great way to tell what direction she was going, it was hard to tell where exactly in the maze of back roads she was.

this became more evident when she turned another corner, only to curse.

Dead end.

Kuro whipped around, arrows drawn back. Of course, wasting an explosive arrow on only two would be a waste, and the sound could draw more of them to her, but if she had to-

"do me a favor and duck, Kitty!"

Kuro growled at the nickname, but still did as she was asked, not at all surprised when the other two dropped, "You know I hate it when you call me that, panda-plush boy."

"You, on the other hand, could have done a lot better with that." Abraxas grinned from the rooftop, as he reloaded his sniper, "Hold up just a moment."

Kuro scowled as Abraxas walked off on the roof, giving the spot he stood in a look, before jumping back when a ladder was tossed off of the side, "It's a lot easier to tell where you're going from up here!"

"Hey, for when we get to the top, wanna warn me before you drop something huge like that? Could have killed me on the spot, you know I'm a delicate little thing." Kuro grumbled, looking around before climbing up.

The moment she got to the top, Kuro stretched a bit, Abraxas shot her a smile, "Don't be like that, who knows where you'd be without me?"

"Shut up and move it," Kuro grumbled, before looking around. Unlike the Rift, most of the shops were the same level when it came to height, so running across most of them wouldn't be a problem, "See that fire and smoke? That's where Vale and Shax were last I saw them."

"They sure are taking their damn sweet time." Abraxas noted, before rolling his neck, "But hey, on the bright side, looks like we finally have something we can beat those two at!"

"You're referring to...what?" Kuro muttered, confused as she followed Abraxas to the edge of the Capitol. Once they crossed that hypothetical line, they should be in the clear.

"If we can get to the edge first, we win the race, of course!" Abraxas grinned, before jumping to the next roof, Kuro not too far behind, "Of course, if you weren't on my team, I'd probably make it my goal to beat you too, so it's a good thing I guess you're with me now."

"And I thought that I was annoying." Kuro muttered teasingly, following after Abraxas from roof to roof, "Hey, Ezio, wait up!"

"What did you just call me?"

"...We've played Assassin's creed in your room at least a hundred times; come on, give me this one reference win."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"...Fuck your shit, Abraxas."

* * *

Turns out that they weren't the first to get to the point.

"Fucking- How'd you two get here first!?" Abraxas groaned like a child upon seeing that he wasn't the first.

Kuro, on the other hand, wasn't able to do that, as Vanth ran at her, almost able to tackle Kuro down with a hug, "I w-was scared you guys d-died!"

"I did what I could to convince her that our team did could not fall so easily," Zagan muttered, sounding both a bit teasing and maybe just a bit frustrated, "She seemed so assured that something would go wrong."

"Well, it's clear that she's not use to the miracles we can pull off."

Kuro doubted that she had ever been happier in her life to hear that pride-filled voice, "Thought you guys were stuck back there; heck of a lot of smoke you two were setting off."

"We'll, you know what they say," Abraxas said with a sly slur to his voice, poking his brother as he took off the blood-covered gloves, "Fire happens when you've got a shit ton of friction."

"Shut up, Abraxas." Vale scowled, flicking some blood off of him, before sighing, "This'll never come out."

"Don't worry, you look decent in blood red." Kuro insisted, patting his back as if consoling a child.

"Yeah, don't worry your greedy little head over it, Vale." Abraxas said, as the group took their time, a sort of skip in their step to a point, "If you want, first thing we do when we get up there, we take you to a clothing shop. No questions, heck, if you wanna, we can even go check the ladies section."

"And why would I do that?" Vale sighed, everything but that small smile on his face saying he was beyond irritated.

"Because if your girly physique, of course." Abraxas grinned.

To this, Kuro pushed him, "Hey, come on, don't be like that." Kuro sighed, shaking her head, "That's stupid, and you know it."

To that, Vale rose an eyebrow, "Usually you're not the one to-."

"We all know that he'd be on the hunt for some sexy underwear."

That earned a laugh all the way around, even Shax let out a snort before regaining composure, much to Vale's "irritation".

"Wonder if we could blend in, make a real living up there for who knows how long." Shax murmured, almost to himself.

"Well, world's probably a lot different from how it was when I was up there, so who knows?" Kuro said, kicking the rocks in her path, "Heck, the moment we get up there, those humans could be in a war, could be near extinction; never really know."

"But I'm sure we'll be just fine," Kuro said, quick to add that last part when she saw the scared look on Vanth's face, "I know we'll be fine."

"First things first," Shax went on, before pulling out a book, seeming to read it as they continued the calm trek, "We should find a base of operations."

"A forest!" Kuro immediately offered, "Yo, if we can find this one that has eight pages scattered around, I know a fun game we can all play!"

"I was thinking somewhere where humans will be populated." Shax said, not having to really explain why.

"But you've got to admit, treehouse base would be cool." Abraxas said, nudging his brother with his elbow, only to be waved off.

Finally, they reached it.

Kuro looked over the edge, only to back up quickly, her stomach threatening to spill whatever was left inside of it, "Don't you hate it when you stare into the void and it stares right back?"

"...W-what?" Was the only response, from Vanth, that she got. Everyone else was silent.

Kuro turned around, about to ask what was taking so long, only to freeze.

It was him.

the Prince himself stood in all his glory, black-feathered wings spread out threateningly. He still wore the same white dress shirt, red tie and black dress pants he had gone to the meeting in, but his expression, his eyes, it didn't take much to convey the anger he held.

Esspecially when he had a huge blakc aura-like shadown behind him to represent it.

"Yo, I think your spouse is pissed." Abraxas muttered.

Kuro only gulped, shaking her head. Her mind was sent spiraling, as he just stood there, expression close to unreadable. How had he found her?

At the edge of her vision, Kuro could see Shax tugging on a new pair of gloves, while Vale was slowly taking out his angelic relic from his back pocket.

He seemed to push it into Vanth's hands, the little girl standing right behind him, closest to the edge.

Well, at least they were willing to go out fighting, if it came to that.

The tension was broken when Corvus began to walk forth, slowly as if he enjoyed it. It could have also been because he was so angry he had to keep it under control, but Kuro would have liked to think that...honestly, she hoped neither was true.

"Kuro, there you are." He used a casual tone, one that you could never attach to emotions like anger and/or betrayal. It was too sweet, too nice.

He must have been very, very pissed.

"I had to do a bit of searching, but what kind of a mate would I be if I couldn't find you?" He kept talking as if only Kuro was there, before holding out his hand, as if expecting her to come to him, "Let's go home now, yes?"

Kuro didn't notice it at the time, but her hands were shaking, threatening to drop the bow. She didn't notice the others looking to her, waiting for the smart comment or snippy remark that never came.

All Kuro did was take a step back, nearly tripping backwards into the void itself.

Finally, before Corvus could come any closer, Zagan stepped forth, "If you want her, you'll have to go through us first."

"Every single one of us." Abraxas said just as threateningly, reloading the sniper.

To this, Corvus only smiled, "Oh, do not worry, I plan to do so."

Kuro didn't get the chance to blink. One second, Corvus was at least ten feet away. the next, he's right in front of Zagan, with something that looked like a clawed hand going right through Zagan's chest.

No one even got a chance to shout, before the demon of wrath fell to his knees, dark blood spewing from his chest.

"Zagan!" Vale shouted, before whipping his knife out, nearly growling at the demon.

Kuro grabbed and pulled Vanth over, trying to keep her as far from this as possible. She couldn't bring herself to see Vanth's wide and fearful eyes.

Corvus only chuckled, pushing Zagan to the side, before wiping the blood off of his hands. Kuro could see it, the near bloodlust in his eyes, "If I have to tear each and every one of you down to get my princess back, so be it."

"Son of a bitch!" Abraxas shouted, before firing at him. Corvus seemed to almost teleport out of the way, as he "jumped" from one area to the next.

"Kuro!" Shax shouted, calculating what was going on, as Vale rushed in to see what he could do, "You and Vanth, I want you both out of here!"

"You can't expect me to just leave you all here." Kuro snapped right back.

Vale seemed to be attempting to stab Corvus, only to fail just about as much as Abraxas was when it came to shooting the prince down.

Right before Corvus could open a hole in Vale's chest, a monstrous roar sounded from behind all of them. Before Corvus could turn around, something wrapped around his leg, throwing him into a small house with so much force, the fragile walls caved in on itself.

The demon of wrath stood there in all his glory, coat ripped up and forgotten on the ground. from where he stood, it looked like there was some sort of tail connected to the bottom of his back, arching over him to come to the front like a stinger.

"Now that I see you in your whole wrestler get-up, I can see you going by the name of 'king venom'." Abraxas said with a grin, all of them marveling at the dead man's scorpion tail, arching over his back ready to sting someone.

The usual stupid happy Zagan was gone, replaced with a stern almost-commanding expression, "I know that wasn't enough to kill him." The brute muttered, "We'll hold him off for as long as we can, but I can't promise you too much time." From where Kuro stood, she could see the pain etched into his face, one hand looking like it was trying to cover the hole in his chest.

Kuro could see it, the pain in his expression. Wrath could do wonders, especially when paired up with adrenaline, for a demon. But as too how long he'd last, she had no clue, "We will hold him back, you get out of here!"

Kuro just stood there for a bit, bow forgotten in her hands, as Corvus rose back from the rubble. All four of the dashed off, ready to fight, and all Kuro could do was watch.

She had done something wrong, no way Corvus would have been able to find them, and so quickly as of that. Maybe he had been with Legion and Kuro just never saw it? Or maybe he wasn't at the meeting to begin with as Kuro had originally thought. Or maybe-

"Kuro!"

Kuro was brought back when Vanth threw her own shoe down on Kuro's boot, not enough to hurt, but with enough force to gain her attention, "Kuro, come on!"

Kuro nodded, "Right, right." She muttered, taking the handkerchief, before tossing it into the void. It almost looked like throwing something small into a pool of water, watching it fall for a while, before sinking into the murk. From where it was dropped, a small swirl of white began to form.

A portal to the surface.

"Okay, that looks like a doable jump." Kuro muttered, only to stop at the sound of another yell. She couldn't help it, even when everything in her screamed at her to just jump, save yourself and Vanth, get out of here.

She turned around just in time to watch as Zagan's head flew clean off, something she knew he'd never be able to walk away from again.

Finally, Kuro's grip on her bow tightened, "Go." she muttered, before taking off the quiver, tying it to her belt for better and faster access.

"W-what!?" Vanth said.

"We can't waste anymore time," Kuro muttered, before ripping off her own jacket and bag, tossing it to her, "Wear that jacket, you'll blend right in, and there's some stuff in there that you could use."

"B-but, what about-?"

"Listen to me, the moment you get to the ground, you are going to be safe." Kuro muttered, before pulling back an arrow. She had to stop looking at the fallen body, no way she'd be able to aim with tears in her eyes.

Zagan, stupid happy Zagan, he was just...After all that time, after all of the close calls he's had with death, this is how he went out…

No, she shook her head, before looking to Vanth, "Kid, I swear, I need you to jump off the cliff, now."

"But...b-but…"

"Look, I'm not asking for a nice backflip or some sort of stupid but awesome diving flip, but I need you to go ahead and just jump."

"I...I can't...It looks like...like a f-far jump…" Vanth shook her head, eyes near full with terrified tears, "I can't."

Kuro sighed, knowing she'd regret this, but it wasn't like she had a choice. The clock was ticking here, and she'd already wasted enough time.

With one last look, Kuro pushed her off, seeing the surprise and almost hurt look in the little girl's eyes, as the tiny maid she'd come to grow fond of fell off.

Kuro took a moment to look over, letting out a relieved sigh when Vanth fell into the white portal.

Vanth would be safe.

She turned back around, ready to fire, only to find Corvus just about four feet away, still much to close, and coming forward slowly.

She began to have tunnel vision, unable to see or hear anything else besides him. She kept the arrow pulled back, hands trembling.

Corvus was saying something, mocking her maybe, but she could barely hear it. It was like a war in her mind, too many sides fighting to rip it to shreds.

She kept the arrow pulled back, fingers trembling.

The screeching in her head didn't help. She had every reason to shoot him, but for whatever reason, she couldn't let the arrow go.

The closer he came, the tighter her hold on the weapon became. She should shoot, why didn't she shoot!?

Even with all the fighting, with everything that really should have been a one sided argument in her mess of a head, she didn't let the arrow go. Instead, she dropped the weapon, falling to her knees.

Her vision grew watery, making it even harder to see.

All she remembered was a cold touch, his hand, on her forehead, before everything went black.

* * *

 **Me: ThankYouGuysForReading-**

 **Amy: Not again.**

 **Me: You're not the boss of me!**

 **Lilith: But you did say you'd tell this chapter. At least a hint.**

 **Erin: Yes, with Lilith's on our side now! the world is ours!**

 **Me: Fine...So, at the end of the next Overwatch fic, assuming that it does decently and such, I was going to make a sort of poll, to ask for what the readers wanted. You know, since I'm such a kiss ass for the people.**

 **Amy: Yes, there is hope yet!**

 **Lilith:...Wait, something's off.**

 **Amy: Heh?**

 **Lilith: What if no one answers to the poll?**

 **Erin: Heh?**

 **Lilith: Come on, you should know by now; there's almost always a back-up plan.**

 **Amy: Huh, whatever you do, don't tell that to Katrina.**

 **Me: Well, if that does happen, or if I just decided that I wanted to not write it, for whatever reason...I do have a story that I'd like to fall back on. I'm sure I've said it before as well.**

 **Lilith: Knew it.**

 **Amy: Aww shit, you've said it before!? I have your memory, I can't tell!**

 **Erin: Well, that's how a revolution ends. The confusion of the self-proclaimed leader.**

 **Lilith: The only reason she's a reoccurring OC is because she was the first.**

 **Amy: No, I'm still here because I'm funny and witty!**

 **Erin: Same here.**

 **Kuro: Obviously it must be something easy to write if I've got that too, right?**

 **Lilith: All three of you are also fairly very stupid.**

 **Amy: Well, if we're all like this, I guess that just means that you're a defect.**

 **Erin: You realize that you just called Miu, possibly Azazel, and anyone else I'm forgetting a defect as well?**

 **Amy: Miu is special and Azazel is forgettable.**

 **Kuro: You are just digging yourself into a deeper hole, with each passing second.**

 **Lilith: Crimson, please stop her before she gives herself a worst time.**

 **Me: Will do! this has gone on for long enough anyway. It also managed to ruin the mood this chapter's end tried to make, but hey, if I do anything better than that, I guess I'm not a failure!**

 **Anywho, hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	34. His Fair Lady, One Last Chance

**Hi hi!**

 **So, thanks to some concrete and a prayer to our lord and savior the flying** **spaghetti monster (He will fly on), that crack in my 4th wall is finally sealed. For how long that'll last I have no idea, but it's better this than author's notes that could go on for five pages.**

 **Also, yes, I know, this is an early update. It's nothing important, but I wanna see if I can finish this story up before the end of the year. Originally, my personal deadline was going to be before Christmas, but I don't really think that I'll be able to pull of a miracle like that.**

 **But yeah, other than that, I got nothing left to say!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kuro nearly threw herself from the bed as she jolted away, hands to and ready for the fight...that wasn't currently in her room.

Normally, she'd wake up groggy, taking a few minutes, sometimes half an hour, to fully remember what had happened before she'd fallen asleep.

But no, this one time she didn't want to remember, that was the one time everything came flooding back the moment she opened her eyes.

She took a moment to look around. This wasn't her shared room with Corvus, that was for sure. This room was a perfect circle, and made of stone now that she was thinking it over, so it wasn't a room that was within the main castle.

All that was in the room, besides that rather towering wooden door, was the bed she was sleeping on, a small dresser, a smaller vanity and chair, and a window. So, with that light coming in from their one and only blood red sun, that took the dungeon off of the list.

She made sure she was decent, before getting out of the bed. Someone, and she wasn't going to waste time wondering who, had changed her out of her street clothes and into a casual short white dress. Taking another look over, her shoes, weapons and ring were gone.

She didn't have time to be pissed off though, she had to find a way out.

She took a quick look over and out the window, now understanding where she was. From the stone walls and the view, she was in what she had first assumed to be guard towers. There were four main ones at each corner of the castle, from being how she could see the inside of the whole place, she wasn't in one of those. Probably stuck her in one of the smaller middle ones.

She could see a crowd down there, right in the middle, crowing what looked like an execution stand. The thought made her gag, sure she wasn't exactly one for honoring the dead and all, but making it akin to some sort of entertaining show?

That was barbaric right there.

She couldn't help but lightly scratch at the area on her finger that use to have her ring. It didn't feel right, she hadn't taken it off ever since...Since this whole mess started.

Finally, she went for the large wooden door, banging on it. It felt locked, but she didn't hear anyone outside, nor did she see any shadows from under the door.

Locked but not guarded.

She took another moment to look back out the window, only to shake her head. It wasn't like she had what she needed to climb her way up and out. Even if she did, the crowd down there was too big, it would be near impossible to get out undetected.

Kuro shook her head, looking around the room for something she could use as a weapon. Doors it was. She had to get back out there, start looking. Maybe she could find them. Of course, she couldn't find ALL of them since Zagan was-

She shook her head, looking under the bed for something to use. Zagan was gone, and she couldn't do anything about it.

But like hell was she going to leave this place without making sure she the other three weren't with her.

No way they were all dead. Kuro had to keep repeating that in her mind, before her hand finally closed around something metal. felt like it was part of the bed, but being how it had been up here for so long, it seemed rusty and old.

If she tried, she could pull it free.

"They're fine," Kuro repeated, giving the metal bar in the bed another firm tug, "Abraxas is great at disappearing. No way he'd let them find him."

"Yeah...Yeah, if anything, that idiot managed to escape." Kuro insisted to herself, giving the bar one more hard pull, "Shax too, no way he'd go down without a fight. He might be the proud dainty proper boy, but he ain't no damn slouch."

With that last word, she finally managed to tug the metal bar free, pulling it out from under the bed, "And Vale, well, as long as he's with Shax, he'll be fine. They'll all be fine, I have to get out to them."

"Vale's always going on and on about how I always keep them waiting," Kuro muttered to herself, testing the door by pushing her foot down on it, "I can hear him bitching about it in my head already."

"Bet that they're just holed up somewhere, just for the time being," Kuro went on, rolling her shoulders. She found it kinda funny, whenever she read a story about some girl stuck in a tower, she always had to wait for someone else to come along and rescue her.

To that, she shook her head. As if she'd ever allow anyone to do something like that.

She was about to kick down the door, bracing herself for the splinters to the feet she knew were about to come, before a roar from outside caught her attention.

She took a moment to look out the window, having to brush her long hair out of the way. Jeez, mental note, cut that damn thing already, it was getting too long.

She watched as someone, judging by the smokey outline being Legion, had walked onto the stand, hands up as if enjoying the applause.

Dear Satan was it kinda irritating.

She could faintly hear the demon's voice, but he wasn't loud enough for her to hear exactly what he was saying. Kuro shook her head, about to go back to the door, only to have doors on either side of the stage pop open.

One by one, Kuro watched as Rifters were herded out in shackles, head down and expressions full of shame.

They weren't just any Rifters either, Kuro could see their cut up blood-red attire, mixed in with the shirtless tattoo-covered demons.

They had taken prisoners from the attack, from both Bloodbath and Skinner's group.

But, in the sea of the uniformed and proud members, three stood out of place.

Even from up here, Kuro could easily tell who they were. With their faces in mind, Kuro began to kick and pound at the door, watching as the wood began to give in.

She wouldn't be late, not this time.

* * *

"...Well...On the bright side...I've always wanted a tour of the castle." Abraxas mumbled, wincing and growling as they were herded along.

Shax and Vale were right behind him, all three of them forced to sit before the stage, front row seats to watch their friends die.

But not all of them were here, no, there were a few that they had decided to keep. They had passed by those lucky to live, or rather, those unlucky enough to spend the rest of their days tortured for information and other more...unpleasant things.

The three watched as the captured members of Bloodbath were lined up, "I'll be honest, sitting here now, I feel better knowing that Lucky didn't make it."

"Well, that's just demented." Abraxas scowled, trying to ignore whatever the smoky figure on the stage was saying, about how the guards of the capitol protected them from the Rifters and all that bullshit. Yeah, way to be a propaganda leader.

All the while, Shax just sat there, silently. Neither of the other two could get a real read on him. They couldn't tell if he was scheming some sort of escape plan up, or if he was just accepting that they were going to die.

They all snapped out of it when the roar of the crowd behind them grew louder, an executioner walked onto the stage, carrying some sort of rope.

"Hey, you think if the hanging doesn't work, they'll just beat the bodies up there like pinatas?" Abraxas asked, watching as the members of Bloodbath tried to fight back, as they were pushed under a long hanging pole that the guards had just pulled up.

Vale had to look away. It was just a bit too much for him, to watch demons he'd practically tricked into battle die.

One by one, each demon was strung up, before that same smoky demon came back around, "It is true, no matter how many of them we bring to their death, it does not bring back retribution for those who have fallen to protect us. But, with that said, we shall not allow these traitors crimes go unpunished!"

With the backing of the whole crowd behind them, he gave the nod to a guard. They pulled down a lever, causing the floor to fall in on itself.

For that part, Abraxas had to look away as well. He had thought that it was some stupid joke up until now, but seeing those bodies flail about, even just for a second...Didn't matter if he was a demon, that just wasn't right.

Whatever was in those ropes, those sparkling pieces of red, was enough to kill a demon. From his experience, he knew that whoever managed to infuse shards into the ropes for the sake of killing...They were either a genius or a madman.

Maybe a bit of both.

"...Do you know if that...That monster took Kuro back?" Vale seemed to ask out of nowhere.

Abraxas shook his head. All he really remembered was a cold feeling sweeping over him, and before he knew it, he was waking up on some cold stone floor by someone hitting the bars.

Vale kept his eyes on his hands. There were too many things bugging him at the moment, so many in fact that he felt as if all of his life's problems were hitting him all at once.

He wondered if this is what others meant when they say that their lives flash before their eyes.

If so, it was a pretty shit way to end someone's life.

"She's okay, I'm sure of it."

Abraxas nearly jumped at the sound of his brother's voice, his head tilted to the side, "You sure did choose an odd time to jump into this."

"Think about it, the prince didn't even acknowledge us back there." Shax reasoned, his tone a lot more void then usual. Of course, he was never much of an emotional anyway, but this was a steep decline from the already emotionally-constipated demon Abraxas normally dealt with.

"He tore through Zagan as if he were nothing, and he took us out as if we were simply an obstacle to go through. We weren't the objective; Kuro was the target."

It really didn't matter to both Vale or Abraxas, even in their profession, hearing the name of a friend that had fallen too soon still left an impact.

Abraxas hung his head low, unable to watch as those from Skinner's group were forced onto the stage.

Vale, on the other hand, couldn't do anything but watch blankly. He took note of how they didn't fight nearly as much as Bloodbath, and in a way, it made sense.

They had just seen what was in store for them, as well as the fact that there would be no chance of liberation.

"To think that, after all this time, we'd end up here." Vale sighed.

To this, Abraxas finally shook his head, looking around, "No, no way is this how we go out."

"What are you trying to say?" Shax sighed, giving his brother a pointed look, before sighing. Just like Zagan is, no, was; Abraxas never did know where the quitting point was, "If you think that we can somehow get out of this-."

"I know we can." Abraxas insisted, being mindful to keep his voice low, "Look, we've been in worse, but we still made it through. We can make it through this."

"And how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?" Vale hissed, "Look around you! No weapons, no tricks, nothing against these armored giants we'd have to fight through!"

"We can still get out of this, I know it." Abraxas insisted, looking around, "There has to be something you guys have noticed, something that we can use."

"What's the point?" Shax whispered.

His phrase took the other two both by surprise. Of course, it had been running around in Vale's head, but to hear it come from Shax himself...It did more than surprise.

"Come on, don't be like that." Abraxas insisted. All Vale did was silently watch. Honestly, in his head, Shax wasn't completely wrong, but he never did think that the great Shax himself would fold over.

"Okay, say we do get out of this." Shax muttered, "Then what?"

"Then we just...Well, we can go back to the bar!"

"Yeah, cause they won't look for us there." Shax sighed, shaking his head, "This is why you always got into trouble and I always had to bail you out. You have no idea how to plan ahead, you don't know what could come after step 3 because you decided to just 'go with the flow'."

"It's better than sitting on my ass and either waiting for help or expecting someone else to pick up the slack." Abraxas growled right back, growing sick and tired of this treatment, "If you're right and these are our last moments, you'd think that your one and only brother, your own flesh and bone, would make an effort to just try to be that tiny bit nicer."

All three of them were silenced by the sound of the wooden panels giving way once again, none of them able to look up to face those who were hung.

Seconds later, they were forced to rise from their positions, Vale nearly tripping over the chains, as all three of them marched up.

In his first, and last, attempt at humor, he sighed, "...At least I'm not being executed next to Zagan."

"...Vale, shut the fuck up."

* * *

It didn't take long for Kuro to kick the final doors of the tower down, metal bar in tow. Right outside her door, there were only two guards, both of which surprised by the door being kicked in.

Didn't stand much of a chance from there.

From that moment on, it was just a spiraling staircase down, and if her location was correct, she'd end up coming out right into the crowd outside. She'd join the crowd of demons waiting to watch her friends die.

She didn't think twice, going quickly to unlock and open the doors, quickly dashing out and into the crows once they were thrown open.

She could just see it, just above the heads, on the stand. They were just being herded onto the stands, about to make themselves some sort of last spectacle.

Kuro dashed through the crowd, not caring for those she had pushed to the side, nor did she care too much for the loose gravel digging into the bottom of her feet.

All that mattered would be getting ot them and getting them out of here. Hell, she didn't really care if she herself got caught at this point, if she could get them out of here, it would be enough.

One last chance, one last push.

Kuro ignored how some of the crowd would push her back, hoping that her feet weren't all cut up at this point, before a guard moved to block her. He was saying something, probably trying to get her back into the tower, but Kuro ignored him, pushing past him, only to have a large metal arm come out to stop her.

"My lady, I must insist that you head back to-."

The moment a hand was put on her, Kuro pushed him back. She didn't pay any attention or mind to how much force she used, nor did she flinch when she managed to push a guard, clad in metal armor, easily into the left side of the crowd.

If she jumped up just a bit, she could see them over the heads of the other now panicked crowd of demons, most of them having enough of a mind to move out of the way.

Good for them, she thought as she pushed her way through to the stage, they're not just mindless sheep.

She could see the confused guards at the top of the stand, as well as a small grin on Abraxas' face, as she ran over. She was shouting something, but she honestly had no idea. It was like something else was commanding her body, all the while, she would take in the surrounding area.

She noted the guards that seemed to begin to try closing in, but they were quickly taken care of. If anything, the crowd helped by creating a sort of fighter's ring, allowing guards in for the fight.

She continued to fight her way to the stage. Nothing else mattered, at the moment, that stage was the end goal.

She could have sworn that she was glowing or something, from how bright it was beginning to get slowly, but it didn't matter. She could see the three revolting, doing all they could to try to escape the restrains.

Vale had managed to kick over one of the hanging posts, but that was just about as much as they were able to do before they were taken back under control.

She could hear Legion shouting something, probably orders to get her restrained, but she didn't care. If anything, she picked up the pace as the three were fitted with ropes around their necks.

She fought her way to the front of the stage, battering anyone who got on the wrong side of her metal pole. Heck, she felt that, with all of this sudden confidence and valor, she could totally take on Satan.

Not even for the throne, just for the fun of it.

She wasn't sure when, but one of the guards managed to grab her by the arm, rendering the bar she held useless when he grabbed it, flinging it out of her hold.

Without thinking, she reared around, facing the demon down. Now, she was never really one for rational thought, but at the same time, she knew enough to put two and two together and realize that punching a guy in armor full force would hurt more than the other guy.

But, that same idea didn't seem to match up, as she pulled her fist back anyway, punching the guard right in the chest, full force.

It didn't seem to add up in her head, there was no way that her fist would have been enough for her to leave an indent in that guard's armor, nor should it have been possible for her to basically decimate not only the armor, but the guy inside, but she didn't care too much.

She was running back for the stage, hoping over anyone in her way, or attacking right back if they tried to grab her.

Legion was shouting something, probably orders to have them hung, which made Kuro run faster.

She managed to make it to the stage, when another metal-covered hand clamped down on her wrist.

She was ready to knock it back, only to have another grab her other wrist. To this, she began to thrash and growl, almost anamalisticly. She was so damn close, but a bit farther and she'd be good; why is it that she was always so close but so damn far!?  
She could hear Legion saying something, laughing almost, as more hands held her down. He was probably teasing her, making comments about how this Rifter-born princess was nothing more than an animal.

Kuro managed to kick at one of them, but more would come forth to hold her down, pulling her away from the stage as she did.

Her eyes went wide, as an executioner walked over to his post, ready to pull the lever. She elbowed one guard, freeing up her hands as she made a mad grasp for the stage. She had been so close, she couldn't just allow it all to fall in like this, not now.

She could tell that she was screaming and crying, but it all felt so...surreal. This was making no sense, why were they on that hanging post? Why was Abraxas offering small tearful smiles, while Vale was the one that seemed to be crying out for once? Why was Shax just standing there, his head down as if he were submitting.

All too soon, the wooden panels beneath all three of them were dropped.

Kuro couldn't unsee it. To see their feet dangling, bodies held up by some rope. Her screaming turned to roars of anger and anguish.

Suddenly, she felt too hot, as if she had suddenly become a sort of overused lightbulb. It felt very uncomfortable, and soon enough, it was all she could feel.

But, as hot as she was, while the metal hands fell away, it wasn't enough to make the tears leave too.

She felt both hot and cold. It was too much to feel at once. Her head was pounding, and even with her eyes closed, that bright light was still to much. She felt herself falling to her knees, and after that, the lights were suddenly shut off.

the last thing she remembered before all the lights went out was a pit opening inside of her, a sort of emptiness settling within her before blacking out entirely.

* * *

 **Nothing like crushing all hope under your shoe, am I right?**

 **And now, for the rest of the story, prepare thy self for a serious mood change.**

 **Or don't, you know, free country and all.**

 **...Yeah, I really have nothing else to say!**

 **So, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop a review, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	35. His Fair Lady, Detached

**Hi hi!**

 **Aight boiz, time to see if we can make some magic happen!**

 **If I can pull this whole last-story part together, good on me, but if I can get it done before the New Year, I'm appointing myself as Queen of...I'll figure out the title later.**

 **Nothing more to say here, let's get this ball rolling!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Corvus took a bit too long standing outside of the tower's door, a hand running through his hair while the other was placed on his hip.

He wasn't there to see it all go down, having been busy trying to cover for her from earlier, but he'd walked past what remained of the mid-court to get the the tower. He had seen it, from afar, how they had dragged her unconscious body back up to the tower, the other commoners rushing to get out of the area.

And now, here he stood, right outside the door.

He shook his head, he had wasted enough time right outside the door.

He knocked first, the other hand going to his hip to make sure that the bag he had brought was still attached to his belt.

When he heard no response, his mind believing that she must still be out, he slowly and quietly pushed the door open.

She was still asleep, but what he didn't expect was his brother standing over her, just watching.

The moment the door opened, Aranea turned, glasses in hand, "...Isn't she beautiful?"

"Leave, now." Corvus hissed, instinctively walking over, putting himself between her bed and his brother.

"Do you not agree?" Aranea spoke, shaking his head before dusting something off of his shoulder, "I do wonder if she's wasted on someone like you."

"I told you to leave." Corvus hissed, glaring his younger brother down.

"I don't see why you're so angry," Aranea murmured, shaking his head before taking his glasses off, "I mean, she's only here because I decided to help you."

"You decided to do what you had to so that you could still try to win her over." Corvus scowled, "Don't try to paint yourself the good guy here, Aranea."

"Oh, like you're so much better?" Aranea scoffed, before shaking his head. Finally, after a heated glare-off, he headed for the door, "Admit it, you're no better than me. In the end, call it what you like, it's just a game between the two of us. And, whether you like it or not, I do not intend on losing this time around."

And with that, the spider demon left the room, his footsteps slowly fading out the farther he got.

Corvus took some time to just study the door, fist clenched. He knew he'd hear it before he saw it, but if Aranea was to come back in, he was ready.

As for Kuro, now that he was in the right mindset, he couldn't help but feel...ashamed. When Aranea had first told him that she was escaping, he felt nothing but rage. He was still very much in control, of course, but the fury he had felt at the time, it was enough to rip a demon in half.

But after carrying the unconscious Kuro back, his mind settled, and even in his dreams, it shook him to the core.

The way she had looked at him, the utter fear and almost betrayal; as much as he would have liked to deny it, it hurt.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard the bed sheets rustling. He looked over to see Kuro rise up, about to greet her with a warm smile as he always tried to do, only to stop.

Everything about her looked fine. Same curly brown hair that was just a bit too long, same cute cat ears that would twitch whenever she got mad, same violet-colored eyes.

But something was...something was off. She looked almost deflated, vibrant eyes robbed of their color, as if something had been shut off.

"Hey there, Kitten." Corvus muttered, slowly sitting on the bed next to her. He waited for some sort of response, half of his waiting for her to snap at him, hit him, something to express that she was still alive and breathing.

He had fought so hard to be here, but now that she was awake, he didn't know what to say. His words almost fought to spill from his mouth, but none of them made any real rational sense at the time.

All the while, she just watched him, eyes dead, "...Kuro, I know that it won't amount to much, but...I'm sorry."

Again, he was met with nothing but silence.

"I know you're probably angry, but...Please know that I tried." Corvus went on. He never thought that she'd be the one to make him feel nervous, but the way she was staring at both him and yet also off into space sent chills down his spine.

"I know it looks bad, but I need you to know this; that everything I did yesterday I did to protect you." Corvus went on, wincing when he sounded a bit too defensive. Kuro, on the other hand, didn't budge, instead opting to look out the window, one hand on top of the other.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was?" Corvus said. He could feel just a bit of irritation rising up, the very least she could do was acknowledge him, "I brought you back, all three of your friends, they all came back alive. I fought for them, against my own father, as well as his followers. Have you any idea how hard it was, to vouch for you? I had to convince them that you were under their control, that they had used anything from blackmail to kidnapping to drag you out. I had to get them to believe that you had nothing to do with that attack when we both know that you're less than blameless."

Once again, silence.

Corvus forced himself to calm down, his face held in his hands, "...Now I'll have to explain it to them all over again, that whole...Whatever happened in the middle square."

He then took her hands into her own, the action enough to have her slowly but surely look at him, dead eyes and all. He nearly backed out, but forced himself to stay. It was something she had once rambled on about, one of the many things that she'd just go on and on about when they were spending time together; how some people looked more broken than they really were.

He hoped that this was one of those times.

"But, you know what, I'd do it again in a heartbeat for you." Corvus murmured, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, "I'd be more than willing to do it, you know. Kuro, you gotta know, I really do lo-."

"Stop."

Corvus was taken aback, surprised. Her voice sounded hoarse, like one that had just finished crying or screaming. She looked at him, and as if a switch was flipped, her eyes went from emotionless to pure pain, "I don't want to hear it."

Corvus wasn't sure what to say, her hands now on his own, "I can't...I can't hear those words right now. Don't waste your breath."

She seemed to spit out the words with hate, but Corvus could see right through it. With a nod of understanding, he placed the bag he'd brought in next to her, "I'll be sending...someone in with food later on, is there anything else I can bring you?"

He expected her to keep silent and shake her head, only to have her laugh bitterly, "I don't suppose you can bring my friends back?"

He had never heard her laugh sound so...dull. Even in those most sarcastic moments, there was always a hint of that sort of childishness that just seemed so, well, Kuro. To have that gone and replaced with such a hollow sound scared him in a way.

All Corvus could do was nod solemnly. Originally, he was going to go ahead and pop the question, his father had been pressing for their union for too long, but right now...Right now didn't feel like the right time.

Corvus left with a few words of comfort, unsure what else could be said, before leaving the room, "If you need anything, there will be guards stationed outside. Call for them, and if it's dire, they'll call for me."

She didn't say anything as he made his way out, a hand over his head as he groaned. He had just finished twisting his way out of his father's grasp, there was still a chance that the king would have her executed if they deemed her irredeemable. He knew what had to be done to prevent it, and while Kuro would surely hate him even more for it, there really were no other choices from here.

* * *

Normally, the spider prince wanted nothing to do with whatever happened down in the dungeons. Whether it be because he didn't want to be near such scum or if he just found the screams of pain boring after a while, he never stayed down here for too long.

But not today, no, he was on a mission.

The moment he entered the "holding area", the guard not thinking twice to let him in, he covered his face. They never really cleaned out the cells down here, which did more than explain the smells, but he forced himself to get through it.

When he finally found the prisoner he was looking for, he waved a watchmen over, "I'd like you to take this one to the interrogation room immediately."

"Of course, right away your highness, but would you like anyone to accompany you?"

"I don't think that she'll be much of a threat, thank you." Aranea muttered, stepping back as the guard opened up the cell, dragging the demon right out.

If it weren't clear enough before, the tattoo and eyes were enough to tell him that this was the kind of demon he was looking for, "When did we get this one?"

"From the riots, apparently she was with them trying to bring down the gates," The guard said, holding the demoness in place, "They sent all the others out to get hung, but this lucky one...Well, let's just say, the other guards want to keep her around just a bit longer."

It took a lot of his willpower not to gag, as they finally made it to the room. The watchman unlocked the door, allowing the prince in first, before pushing the demoness in after him, "Knock twice on the door when you're done, I assume you don't want anyone watching in?"

"That would be optimal, thank you." Aranea said, his words sounding more so like "get out", but with a smile.

Once the door closed, however, the smile was gone, as he gave the female a look. Her hands were cuffed behind her back, as she glared him right back down. If Cresil was right about demons of Lust, and if he could find the one he was looking for, he'd finally have the advantage he needed, "...Good evening, I am Aranea."

"I know who you are." She spat out, mismatched eyes glaring at him.

"Then you'll know that it would be considered a common courtesy to someone like me to also give your name." Aranea said smoothly.

"...Andras."

"So, Andras, what sin do you follow?"

"I think we both know what kind of demon I am." She sneered, scoffing.

It took so much self control to try and keep himself from strangling her, but he managed, "If that is the case, Andras, I do believe that you have information that I need."

To this, she laughed. It was like Kuro's laugh, it wasn't in anyway just a bit childish and bubbly, it was full of malice and suffering, a sound that could only come from the mouth of a demon who had seen and been through too much, "You're gonna have to be more specific, buddy boy; I know too much to know exactly what you want. So, if you got something you want, and you want it now, you better cut to the chase. I've got a lot to 'think about' during my time here."

"In that case, I'll stop wasting your time." Aranea scowled, before slamming his fist into the wall. The action was enough to make her jump, which was enough. Inflicting fear was a good first step, "I'm told that there's another reason the angels targeted your kind when they first invaded."

"Apparently, if legend and a drunk Asmodeus is correct, your kind has the original sword, the one forged from the blood of demons. The very sword that has been shedding shards ever since its creation, which is why it has to have a demon as a sheathe to keep it together."

Andras scoffed, "I'm not an idiot, I know the legend of the original demon sword, just like how I know it's some stupid fairytale."

"Your kind is good at a lot, but lying through teeth isn't one of them." Aranea sighed, before flexing his wrists, eyes narrowing, "Now, you're going to tell me where that sheathe is and how to get to her."

To this, Andras grinned, "Oh, is the big bad spider prince going to break me in? Good luck on that, I've seen and been through a lot and I've yet to crack."

This only lead to another dark chuckle from Aranea, taking his glasses off before popping his fingers, "At least you'll make the entire experience entertaining."

* * *

The moment Corvus walked back through the throne room doors, he could feel the dread and anxiety threatening to take over. Unlike the audience of angry nobles from earlier, now it was only him, Belphegor and Satan.

Not that this was any better.

"And he's back for more." Belphegor yawned, shaking his head, as he leaned back on the side, against the stands that the nobility usually sat on.

"I won't waste your time trying to explain why," Corvus said right off the bat, "so I'll instead start with an apology."

 **"I thought that you didn't want to waste my time, Corvus."**

Usually, his father's tone wasn't enough to get break him down, but after hearing it so often over the past week, it was beginning to take its toll, "I know that there is only so much that I can do-."

 **"Then you'll understand what has to be done. There was a chance of saving her before, but after that incident, the witnesses...Putting her to death would be merciful."**

"As much as I hate it with Legion trying to make that crap into some sort of game show, he's right." Belphegor chimed in, "The people need some sort of stability. It has to be controlled or exterminated."

"Then let it be controlled." Corvus insisted.

 **"And how do you plan to do that? I warned your far in advance, Corvus; you've proven yourself unable to control her. Maybe choosing someone new is the only option left for you here."**

"And how long do you think that could take?" Corvus muttered, nearly growling.

 **"You watch your tongue, boy."**

"My lord, with all due respect, they want security here and now," Corvus tried to reason, "We need it controlled, extermination would only lead to more conflict between the Rift and us. Adding that onto the recent executions, our already strained relationship with them is slowly being torn apart."

"Than what do you recommend, young prince?" Belphegor pressed, rubbing his eyes even through the rather serious moment, "We've given you a chance to put her into control, and look at where we are now."

 **"On top of that, her actions of today cannot be ignored."** the King went on, **"Unless you can promise me a union within the next three days, I will have to have her put to death."**

Corvus couldn't help but scowl slightly, knowing what angle his father was playing this, before sighing, "...I will have the plans ready by the night of tomorrow, my king."

It took some time, but at last, the King nodded, waving his hand off. Corvus took this as a sign to leave, offering one last small bow, before heading for the door.

"Will that really be enough to keep everyone out there under control, my lord?" Belphegor asked the moment that the door closed, "Some of the nobility could see this a sign of infiltration; giving a Rifter such as her the title of royalty."

 **"Most will see it as us taking control of her,"** Satan insisted, **"It was up for debate before, but I'm sure of it now. Something like her must be controlled if it is to stay here."**

"...Let's say that it happens again, my lord." Belphegor murmured, as he reclined, "Say that, for whatever reason, she decides to go ahead and…'explode' once more. What is the plan from there? If she is to hold power, what would happen if she were to turn on us, intentional or otherwise?"

 **"If that it the case...There will be no other choice. She'll be put to death on the spot."**

"Assuming that she doesn't first kill us, my lord?"

 **"Indeed."**

* * *

Kuro's eyes had yet to leave the bag Corvus had dropped off. She felt too much, but at the same time, she felt so...empty.

No amount of begging was going to get them back, she wasn't stupid enough to get on her knees and plead for something lost.

With that said, she wanted nothing to do with whatever was in that bag. She knew herself well, curiosity would get to her in the end, but at this moment here and now, she was too stubborn to give in.

In all honestly, it wasn't even him that she was mad at. She wasn't deaf, she was listening to what Corvus had to say. She understood, whether she liked it or not, that sometimes you didn't get to make the right choices. Heck, when you do get that chance, more often than not you'll be both threatened and influenced to go a different route.

When she came back through, she found herself clutching the bag, a small scowl on her face as she did so. The curiosity was going to kill her before the self loathing was.

She wanted to toss the bag away, but her hands had other ideas. Her fingers pulled the bag open, against her head's orders.

Her hands went to the side of the bag, pulling both sides up to dump out everything inside.

What tumbled out of the bag made her stiffen.

Her hands dropped the bag, shaking fingers reaching out to pull closer the nearest of both items. They were that same pair that Abraxas always wore, she knew that much. That same stupid color that always brought on so much teasing from her.

The other was a leather-bound book, just big enough to put into your back pocket. Flipping it open to the first page, only to close it as soon as she saw Shax's penmanship.

Kuro held both items close to her chest, nearly crying at this point.

It hurt. It hurt that she had nothing to really remember Zagan and Vale by. It hurt that she was only ever mean towards Abraxas, and the glasses were more than enough evidence. It hurt that she'd only ever have Shax's written words to og by instead of those bossy commands she was so use to mimicking and making fun of them.

But, at the same time, she felt just a bit of...Peace. She wasn't completely without them now. She didn't feel as alone in the stone tower.

There was a small smile, as tears fell from her eyes, holding the items closer. She'd given up her ring, her hoodie was long gone, and there was no way she'd ever see her sniper or bow ever again.

But, with all that was lost, at least some of it felt regained.

The door behind her opened, causing Kuro to turn, a small smile still on her face, "Corvus, thank-Oh."

The demon in the doorway had a heavily-bandaged face. But even then, Kuro knew the short head maid anywhere. She closed the door behind her, holding what looked to be a lot of white linen in her hands, "Good evening, Lady Kuro. My name is Azrin Sarai. I'll be your personal maid until, ahem, further notice."

Kuro glared the maid down, watching her put down the white cloth, "...What's all that for?" Kuro asked, pushing the items back into the bag as she stood up.

"Why, it's for your dress fitting." Ms. Sarai said with a somber sigh, looking like she wanted to be there just about as much as Kuro wanted her there, "Your wedding is scheduled in three days; we'll have to get this done as soon as possible if we wish to have the ceremony on time, my lady."

With those words, Kuro reverted back into the emotionless husk, eyes growing dull, as she stared out the window. With a sigh, she looked up, wondering if those four were still watching from wherever they were now.

How she wished for their guidance, especially when all she had for company was a bitch of a maid that was about to throw dresses this way and that.

* * *

 **Amy: You know, you're probably going to have a lot of angry readers.**

 **Me: I don't recall asking-Wait, how did you get through!?  
**

 **Amy: A magician never reveals their secrets.**

 **Erin: She wouldn't stop bugging Lilith, so she pushed her through the wall.  
**

 **Me:...I understand for her, but you too?**

 **Erin: If Lilith doesn't like Amy, I don't see why she'd like me.**

 **Amy: I knew that she could go through walls and all, but I didn't know that she could push others through walls!**

 **Me: Honestly, me neither...Shit, I need to nerf you guys.**

 **Amy: Why's that?**

 **Erin: Yeah, I don't see how a half demon that is great at sword fighting and can control water is "over-powered".**

 **Amy: Says the tiger-taming fire-bending gang leader.**

 **Me: Okay, I just need to rethink all of my character designs, don't I?**

 **Erin: Yeah, hurry up before the OC police catch up to us.**

 **Me: You know what, this is crunch time, and I'm wasting time with you guys! I'm done here, I got other things to work on.**

 **So, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop those reviews, and I'll catch you next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	36. His Fair Lady, Recovering

**Hi hi!**

 **Assuming this chapter makes it out in time, Merry Christmas!**

 **Assuming it didn't, really can't tell when what is going to come out at this point, Merry Christmas!**

 **Nothing quite like that last minute Christmas panic to really get you going, am I right? I mean, jeez, don't lie, you've all had that one person you forgot about on Christmas Eve, so you have to go around in your panic to try and get SOMETHING to send out.**

 **But hey, enough of that, let's move it on!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Of all the places he knew he'd go in his lifetime, Aranea never assumed himself to end up here.

No royal demon would ever be caught dead in the territory of Asmodeus, unless for some sort of important transaction, but here he was anyway.

He tugged the black shawl he wore closer around him, ignoring the sounds that seemed to be closing in on him almost. If that newly-reformed shell of a succubus was right, he wasn't too far from his goal.

Asmodeus' domain, often called Erostey, was a bit more obscure than he'd first imagined. Of course, he'd never stepped foot into this part of the kingdom, never really having a reason or want to do so, but standing here, now, he had expected it to be more flamboyant, like the sin himself.

The buildings looked almost dull, which only helped him more so when it came to finding the right place.

It stood tall and proud in the middle of the town, with colors of dark purple and velvet red running up and down the sides.

Aranea looked around, before entering, making sure that no one was trying to follow him, before closing the door behind him.

Looking about the room, it was barren and rather bleak, nothing but the dark purple wallpaper and a staircase going up in the far back right corner. In the back of the room was a sort of stand, a receptionist desk he thought.

He looked around a bit, slowly growing more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. He didn't like this place, not one bit in the slightest, but he was there for a reason. He wouldn't dare to leave without what he had came all this way for.

Finally, someone walked down the steps. The demon had plum-colored hair and red eyes, Judging by the clothing, this one seemed to be a servant, "Hello, are you here for an appointment?"

"No, I'm here looking for the lady of the sword." Aranea muttered, looking around.

This caused the demon to give him a look, eyes narrowing at the black shawl, "...If you do not have an appointment, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Are you now?" Aranea scowled, pulling the shawl down, "I asked to see her, and I will not leave until I am able to."

Normally, his face and name was enough to get him anything. But right now, he could see it, this demon was not amused in the slightest, "...If you do not leave-."

"Let him through, he may be of some amusement."

Aranea followed the voice, attempting to look up the stairwell, only to see nothing hiding up there.

The servant sighed, before going back up the stairs, "This way please, your highness."

Aranea didn't comment, following the servant up the stairs, but he wasn't dense to the point where he could hear his own title being spat out with disgust.

He wondered what kind of succubus this demon would turn out to be, but even his speculation wasn't forced to wait for too long.

At the top of the stairs was extravagant in the most simplest ways.

For starters, the carpet was red, the shade matching the hue that the couch and footrest had.

Behind the couch, two other servants, looking fairly very similar to the one who had escorted him, stood at attention, tending to the succubus lying out on the couch, "I take it that you are the demon sword's latest sheathe?"

"You may call me that, yes." the succubus went on, the newly returning servant going to rub and massage her legs, "Some like to call me by my full title; Gloria de Regina, Asmodeus' queen. You may call me Gloria."

Her eyes were a dark reddish purple, almost akin to Corvus'. She wore a dark purple corset-like top that showed off just a bit too much, with almost spider-like pieces of...some sort of cloth jutting out from the hips. Her lavender hair was so long that it easily draped itself over the back of the couch.

"He may be a prince, but he shows no respect." One of the servants said, as he brushed the succubi's hair.

"To think that he doesn't have enough common sense to get down on his knees to show his reverence." The other said, looking like he was filing her nails.

"Some son of royalty he turned out to be." The last spoke up.

"Boys, be silent." Gloria chided, before turning her attention back to Aranea, "Now, what is it that you want of me, Prince of Spiders?"

"I've come for the sword." Aranea said, cutting right down to the chase, "If my sources are correct, you are it's sheathe."

"You wish to strike down a demon." Gloria sighed, before waving her hand. All three of her servants dropped what they were doing, before leaving through a door off to the right, closing it behind them, "What makes you think I'd be willing to go with you?"

Aranea was about to go on about how he didn't need her, only the sword, before stopping. She smirked, she knew what he was thinking, "The sword will slowly deteriorate without the sheathe, so, how long do you plan to use my time?"

"I'll need you around during a wedding."

"Oh, you plan to massacre family and friends at a lovely union of two lovers?" Gloria said with a smirk, "I always knew that you royals were cutthroat, but this is a whole new low for a mad grab of power."

"Believe me when I say that this union is anything but lovely." Aranea scowled, pushing his glasses up, "I need you to be there at my brother's wedding, it'll be three days time; I need that sword."

Gloria's eyebrow rose, "By brother, I don't suppose that you speak of Corvus, do you?"

Aranea's silence did more than answer, causing her to laugh, "Well, you royals truly will do anything for power, won't you?"

"Power is not what I have in mind." Aranea scowled, as the succubus rose, circling him almost like a vulture.

"So, what do you do it for?" Gloria murmured, almost more so to herself than him, "Fame? No, that would tie in with power, as would wealth…"

She finally stopped off to his right, before laughing, her hand covering her mouth, "You do it for love, don't you?"

Aranea forced himself to stay cold and rigid, "That does not concern you."

"Maybe it's love, or a deep hatred for your brother...No, it must be a mix of both." Gloria mused, before placing both hands on his shoulders.

Aranea shuddered, her being this close made the air around him feel as if it were freezing, forcing her hands off of him, "I asked you a question; will you be there?"

"Of course; a union such as this one would surely allow for my husband and I to attain some sort of guest invitation," Gloria clarified, "But what will you offer me in return for the sword's usage?"

Aranea scoffed at her tone, that fake innocent wonder within her voice was false, and he knew it, "What is it that you want from me?"

"...How about we leave it to a favor?" Gloria murmured, "Some day, either sooner or later, I'll have a request for you that you won't be able to turn down."

Aranea shook his head, the deal seemed too good to be true, "Why would you let me off so easily? What do you have to gain?"

To that, the succubus laughed, shaking her head as she went back to sit on her couch, "You see, young prince; as of late, I've grown quite bored. Yes, I've seen a lot in this life, and I know that I am nowhere near my end."

"But, with that said, I hope that you'll be able to offer me some...Amusement in my rather boring life, eh?"

* * *

At any other time, Kuro would have hated where she was at the very moment.

She was stuck standing in the middle of the room, wearing just enough to keep decent, as the maids rushed about.

The head one, Ms. Sarai, kept to the back of the room, shouting orders to the other three. None of the words got to Kuro though, she could see her mouth moving, but she only heard muffled speech here and there.

She had no idea how long she was kept there, standing still, until the other three maids finally backed up, looking pleased with their work, "What do you think, my lady?" One of them asked, the other two hauling a long mirror into place.

The dress was beautiful, more extravagant than anything Kuro ever had enough money for. The corset was lined and designed with white gemstones and pearls, the skirt just almost touching the ground, lined with what almost looked like liquid gold. There were no sleeves, just a bracelet one both wrists to connect three strands of fabric each to the back.

The person in the reflection wasn't Kuro. No, it was some foreign rich demoness, someone who had never known a real hard day's work. She looked too pure, especially with the white gown, too dainty to be her.

"I...I look perfect." Kuro said with a dejected sigh, unable to look at herself any longer.

She could almost hear Abraxas, making fun of her for being all dressed up like some doll. She could see Zagan making comments about how she was, in fact, a girl, all while Vale would shout at all of them to be quiet so that he could work, before going back to talk to Shax about some important issue or another.

She almost had to blink the tears away, hd she not run out of them a long time ago.

Finally, the maids took the dress off, happy with their work, as they all went outside. they chatted about the wedding, wondering if they'd be able to attend and what kind of demons would be there.

Once the three were gone, Ms. Sarai tossed her back a simple washed-out white gown, giving her a look as she put it on, "...Have a good night, Lady Kuro." She finally said, her tone making it sounds more like "good riddance", but Kuro couldn't care less as the maid left, closing the door behind her.

Once she was gone, Kuro dove for the bed, pulling the sheets off to reveal the book and glasses. She gingerly opened the book, as if afraid that it could crumble to dust the moment she made contact, before reading some parts of it over.

Kuro was no mage, she knew that much, but just reading Shax's handwriting heled to calm her down, imagine how hell was when everything made sense.

Her other hand was fiddling with the glasses, those stupid yellow-tinted glasses. She use to threaten to put them on, to see how Abraxas liked to see the world, but now that he was gone, she couldn't bring herself to tarnish such a memory.

She jumped when a knock came to the door, "Come in." She called, wincing at how dry her voice sounded, as she moved to hide the items.

The door was pushed open, revealing Corvus on the other side. He held a vase of flowers in one hand, the other holding what looked to be a bag, "...Kuro."

Kuro couldn't speak, only nodding as he walked in, closing the door behind him, "I brought you some flowers from the garden," He murmured, setting them on the vanity, before opening the bag, pulling out a loaf of bread to hold out to her, "Here, you must be hungry."

Kuro only shook her head, not meeting his eyes. Corvus sighed, putting that on the vanity as well, before sitting next to her, "...I take it that the maids have finished your dress fitting already?"

Kuro nodded.

"...Than I can assume that you know what will be happening very soon?"

Another nod.

Corvus sighed, looking Kuro over, "...Kitten...I know I've said it before, and I know that it doesn't mean much, but I'm so-."

He was cut off when Kuro threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Corvus was taken aback, nearly falling off of the bed had he not held her back.

Kuro didn't know what to say or what to think, but right now, she just needed some comfort, "...Can we stay like this, just for a bit?"

Corvus sighed, looking out the window as he held her tighter, "For as long as you want, Kitten."

And so they stayed there, well, Corvus stayed there. Even long after Kuro had fallen asleep on him, he was still holding her close, as if she'd slip out of his grasp.

He planned to do this, even after they were properly married, for as long as he could and as long as she liked.

This is what he was willing to hold out for.

This was what he was willing to fight his brother for.

And he'd be damned if he lost after sacrificing so much.

* * *

 **Well, I've got nothing else to really say.**

 **I know that this chapter is short, but it's all really just build up for the next chapter, which I might have to divide into two parts if it ends up being too long.**

 **But hey, we're all ready to go here, Corvus and Kuro have...Something, I guess? I don't know, either way, I'll take it at this point. It's not exactly what I was going for, but hey, it's progress! If I have my chapters counted out correctly this time, we've got two more of these left and we're clear! Now, if only I could write these** **consistently instead of popping on every now and then...**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, we're finally at the final push, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai** **bad!**


	37. His Fair Lady, At Her End

**Hi hi!**

 **Aight guys, final** **stretch, almost there!**

 **We're going to ignore the fact that I missed the end of the year deadline tho, let's not mention that ever, yes?**

 **Any who, enough of this, let's move it on!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

It was the big day.

All around the castle, there was a sort of festive murmur going around, as the servants and maids went about the castle.

The normally dark and brooding castle had a sort of glow to it, as the final preparations were put into place.

The main reception was to take place in the main lobby, something Kuro thought to be a bit funny at first. To think that the first place she met him would be the same place she'd be officially bonded to him.

That morning she had been moved from her prison-not-prison to a new sort of temporary suite, "After tonight, you'll get to be back in the prince's room~." One of the maids had giggled, before she left to go grab the army of maids to help her get ready.

Times like these, Kuro missed Vanth. She missed the casual conversation she use to have with the timid maid, how she had slowly but surely gotten her to open up and just talk without being scared of a title.

Now it was just...awkward. None of these other maids wanted to be friends or anything, they were here to either do their job, help spread gossip, or a little of both. None of them worked nearly as hard as Vanth tried, which honestly made it all the better since Kuro had helped the tiny demon girl get out.

Maybe she missed being able to speak her mind more than she thought she would. Of course, nothing that happened during the escape had been planned, but at least she had the faith that the tiny demon would make it in life.

As she was once again guided to the middle of the room, she thought it was kinda funny; the word faith. It was usually used for those who followed that powerful guy up above, right? Her thoughts allowed her an escape, as she was once again forced into that perfect white wedding dress.

Each second with it on, she felt like more and more of a fraud. To think that so much money would be spent on a Rifter, she'd hear one of the maids say as she left her alone in the room.

Once they were all gone, Kuro couldn't help but step down from the little stage they had propped her on, pressing her ear against the door.

"...And to think that he didn't give any of the prettier noble girls a second thought when they were first thrusted at him!" A maid scoffed from the other side.

"Wonder if that's just a royal thing," Another voice spoke, giggling, "Turning down what's turned up on a silver platter?"

"Bet that he realizes how screwed and cornered he is now." The first maid laughed, "He made such a show with her, and now he's got to marry her. What luck!"

Kuro couldn't help but laugh along with the two as they faded. She wondered how screwed Corvus would be, not because of the union, but more so with the elders and nobility of the Capitol. What would they think of him, now that it would be solidified?

A knock at the door made Kuro step back, taking a moment to compose herself, before letting that person in.

Standing on the other side was the prince himself, a surprised yet pleasant smile on his face, hands behind his back, "Kuro...You look gorgeous."

"Corvus," Kuro hissed, looking around, before giving him a pointed look, "I don't care how royal you are, you're not suppose to see me before the wedding!"

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Corvus muttered, letting himself in, closing the door behind him. He took another look over her, "Besides, you're not fully ready just yet."

"You look as you do every day." Kuro muttered, gesturing to the usual suit and tie.

"When you dress formally every day, there's only so much you can do without looking too...flamboyant." Corvus said, having just a bit of a shudder from the word, before pulling out what he had behind him back, "Besides, I wanted to give you something before they force you down the aisle."

He revealed a thin silver necklace, lined with dark gemstones that gleamed almost evilly. Kuro couldn't help but be drawn towards it, "It's very enchanting." She admitted, allowing him to put it around her neck.

The two stood in silence for a bit, just slightly unsure of the other, before Corvus finally rubbed the back of his neck, "Well...I'll see you out there." He murmured, placing a kiss on the back of her hand, before slipping out of the room, silently closing the door behind him.

Kuro toyed with the necklace. She could understand why he had gotten it for her, he must have noticed how she pulled at her finger, absent from its ring. And while it was nothing like the ruby ring that kept her safe, not even a ring at all, it was still something.

Yes, they had a lot of up's and down's, but at the moment, Kuro felt...content with her own arrangements.

Sure, she was still basically being controlled, but at this point, what could she do? It still felt as detaining as ever, but when she looked back, what did she have to escape to?

It was laughable, in some saddening way, to see how her life had gone from this point. She could stay, slowly but surely becoming one of them that she had grown up despising, or escape, only to either be captured or surely die out there.

And, from the dress and necklace, it looked like she was going to be taking the coward's way out of this whole ordeal.

All because she listened to Vale and attended that stupid party.

From there, her mind wandered, helping to pass the times as more maids came to put on make up and other things that Kuro really didn't care for.

Yes, this could all be blamed on Vale, right? She nearly laughed out loud to the thought; how does one go about blaming the dead? It's not like anything would happen, so it looked to be something that would have to be forgiven and forgotten.

She felt like she'd only blinked, but before she knew it, she was standing outside two grand doors, smoke and wisps being seen floating around on her right.

 _"Look at you, little Rifter mouse; all dressed up for your big day. Must feel like an honor, hmm?"_

Kuro didn't listen to Legion, not even giving him a single sign of greeting or even acknowledgment, as the doors opened.

The usually grim walls were now covered with white satin cloth, making the place look so much brighter than it ever really naturally could. the back of the room had an extravagant throne, making Kuro believe that they had carried the throne down from the throne room. And if the lounging figure of the smoky king himself said anything...Yeah, the king really wasn't giving anything up.

The whole while, Second-in-Command stayed at her side; even holding onto her arm, as he walked her down the aisle. Kuro scowled, looking around. The lobby had been filled out with exquisite round tables and chairs, making a straight way from the doors to the front of the room, where Corvus stood, a small knowing smile on his face.

Looking around, Kuro couldn't name any of the demons present. Each looked as rich as the next, she noted, much like those ladies that attended that party so many nights ago. She frowned a bit under the veil when she noticed Arc didn't seem to be out there.

In her head, she had imagined a smaller reception, if she ever got around to finding some demon to "settle down" with as they said on the surface. She imagined it wouldn't be much, just her, whoever was unlucky enough to have caught her eye, and the other four.

She always imagined it in Shax's bar, whether he was okay with it or not. Most of the reception would just be drinking and half-assed vows; not that they would have meant much down here. There would be a big party though, courtesy of Abraxas being, well, himself.

Vale would most likely be the one to finally tell them when enough was enough, Zagan quick to take Abraxas' side, while Shax would find a way to get out of the situation in a whole, most likely "too busy to deal with children".

As chaotic and unplanned as it all sounded, that's exactly how Kuro wanted it.

Looking around, Kuro noticed that Legion had walked off to the side, allowing her to walk the rest of the way alone. Not that it was much, but being how it was just her walking alone with so many eyes on her, it felt like each step was at least a mile.

By some miracle, she finally made it to the sort of pedestal for the two, looking down as Corvus lifted the veil.

She wasn't listening to anything that was going on from there, just blanking out as she continued to stare at the ground.

She'd attended a total of two human weddings during her time on the surface, one of which she was sent to murder the bride and the other she attended on orders to "relax and unwind".

She didn't expect a union down here to be anything similar to the extravagant weddings she'd attended, but this was about where the similarities came to an end.

For who knew how long, Corvus and Kuro just stood there, as the crowd of richies watched them like they were some sort of show. Kuro slowly but surely began to feel uncomfortable, were they just on for show? What the hell was going on here?

Corvus must have known that she was beginning to get agitated, as he squeezed her hand, "It shouldn't be much longer," Corvus said lowly with an apologizing tone, forcing a smile as the two posed for a bit longer, "It's all part of tradition."

After that, The King rose from his seat in the back of the room, making his way over to the two. He was talking about something, probably some other tradition-nonsense that no one wanted to hear but was forced through it anyway.

All the while, Kuro just kinda looked off. She stared at the now closed doors, half of her mind deciding to muse with her, just for fun. She imagined the doors being kicked in, or punched in, by Zagan all while laughing loudly.

That would probably be followed by Vale shouting at him to stick to the plan and be discrete, while those damn richies were sniped down from left and right. Zagan would probably run right up, either picking her up or going to bat the prince into the next week. Either way, Vale would probably be chiding the giant the entire way, all while finding time to be able to do the same to Abraxas over the com.

Meanwhile, if Shax wasn't busy being tucked away in the room, there was a small chance that he'd be there, going about with his white gloves and he decided to go ahead and make demon blood into a sort of finger painting project.

In the end, either Zagan would throw her over his shoulder, or Vale would almost resentfully carry her out bridal style. Either way, as they left, Kuro would turn around just in time to see everything go up in both smoke and flames.

They'd go to the bar for drinks, but after that, the dream faded back, bringing her back to reality with the sounds of dull claps. Kuro had to blink a few times, coming too when the king walked back to his throne, his speech apparently over.

With that, Kuro nearly jumped when the then dead silent crowd went back to bustling with noise. Corvus stepped down, lightly tugging on Kuro's hand as he did so, guiding her to a more distinguished set of two chairs, a long thin white table before them.

From there, it looked like any other party, some of the nobility came up to congratulate the prince in finding a mate after what was, apparently, a long and grueling uphill battle for the one.

After some time, food was brought up, allowing for a rest period between them and those false smiles and congradulations.

Even if none of them gave her more than a polite smile and what seemed like forced bows of forced approval, it still felt exhausting. She wasn't use to so many eyes on her, and she doubted that that would be the first thing to change after years of living like a royal.

All Kuro could bring herself to do was silently eat watch what the crowd of nobility mingle. Peering into the crowd, her eyes caught the ones of a certain sin, causing her to instantly look down and away, uncomfortable.

Corvus noticed, about to ask what was wrong, only to be stopped when a voiced cleared its throat, "Aw, Prince Corvus, a great congratulations to you!"

Corvus bowed in respect for the sin of Lust, while Kuro inspected the lady attached to his arm. She had long lavender hair and navy blue eyes that just didn't feel quite right for a succubus, "Thank you for clearing time to come join us, Lord Asmodeus."

"But of course!" He said with a hearty laugh, before placing his hand in his date's back, "I'd like to introduce you both to my one and only queen; Gloria De Regina."

"Ah, the queen of the butterflies," Corvus said, taking her hands and getting down on one knee respectfully, "A pleasure to meet you."

All she did was nod, her eyes too cold to be a demon of Lust, before turning back to Kuro. They both regarded each other, Kuro wishing that she had some sort of knife to defend herself at the moment. There was something about her that looked wise, almost ancient; like Shax and Vale at times. There almost seemed to be some sort of dry amusement in her eyes, as if she'd seen everything but was still looking for something else to laugh at.

Those were the eyes of someone who had seen it all and was so past disinterested.

"So you're the lucky girl," the succubus mused, ignoring the other two demons as they carried one with what seemed to be demonic politics and what not, "I've known Corvus for a good section of his life; I never did think that he'd find someone that would be able to complete him so well."

Kuro only nodded, knowing that she couldn't trust her mouth to say something nice, before the lady laughed humorlessly, "Do tell me, little kitty cat; what do you think you have that all the other admirers?"

She gave the succubus a small grin, "Well, a sense of humor, for one."

That got another laugh out of her, this one sounding just a bit more real, "Well, that must be something, hmm? Lucky for him, not many girls here have that sort of joking air about them." She murmured, "For that, I envy you."

Chills went down Kuro's spine at the words, ready to ask what she meant, only to force another respectful smile to her face when Asmodeus said his farewells, walking off of the stage with his wife in hand.

"Are you alright? you look rather drained." Corvus noted, prompting Kuro to shake her head.

"Nah, it's nothing too big, it's just that...Well…" Kuro murmured, making sure that no one was too close to hear her, "Does she rub you the wrong way too?"

Corvus gave a confused look, before it fell into place, "Oh, Gloria De Regina? Don't worry about her, she's always been a bit...Off."

Kuro only nodded, going back to watching the mingling in a rather comfortable silence.

Kuro sat back and watched them all, noting how they all looked so oddly uniformed.

Again, she found herself wishing this was all Rifter. It would be such a chaotic celebration. That, of course, would be where the fun came from. It wasn't a real Rifter celebration unless someone was drunk, someone else was high, someone was found dead, and someone was running away to make sure they're not found for the murder.

It would be big, loud and just plain crazy. That was something she could never find here.

Finally, Corvus got up, "I'll be right back, I'm being called over to speak with the other sins."

"All you have to do is sit here and be pretty," Corvus insisted when she saw Kuro showing just a bit of panic, "I'll be back as soon as possible."

And with that, he vanished into the crowd.

Kuro sat back down, trying to ignore the judgemental eyes of all those walking about. She wondered if this is how it would be for her; demons being nice to her face just to get in good with the royals, but the moment that Corvus or any royal figure left, would they strike? She scoffed to herself at the question; it didn't matter if it were the Rift, Limbo or the Capitol.

A demon was still a demon.

"You look so lovely."

Kuro jumped, whipping around to see those frozen golden eyes. He stood in his usual rigid way, glasses, for once, hanging out of his coat pocket rather than on his face.

"Arc, hey." Kuro muttered, suddenly feeling very self-conscious, knowing that the dress was the worse disguise she could wear in front of the spider prince, "About time you decided to show up."

Arc only nodded. If Kuro looked carefully, she could see the dark shadows under his eyes, and...No way, she shook her head to keep herself from looking closer. But, in the back of her head, she swore that she saw some sort of dark bruise on the back of his neck…

"I'll offer it once and only once more."

His sudden cold tone grabbed her attention once again, her eyes moving back to him from the crowd, a sudden chill going up her spine, "Escape with me."

"This really isn't the best time to dangle that before me." Kuro muttered, before going over to her chair to sit down. After the whole mess in his room, there was too much tension in the air between the two. Of course, it was warranted, given how their last encounter had gone, but for whatever reason, Arc didn't seem to mind or care for it much.

"You once told me that you hated be trapped in," Arc went on, walking to stand right in front of her, "But the moment I hold out the key to your little cage, you refuse me. Why?"

"Nothing comes around for free," Kuro said, the words slipping out, "You'd expect something from me, right?"

"In a way, I guess that's what you could say."

"I think I've been through enough deals where I wasn't able to pay my dues," Kuro said with a dry laugh, "Don't worry about it, I'd probably never be able to pay you back anyway."

"I've yet to tell you my price."

"After that little incident last time, I think I can tell what it is."

To that, Arc's eyes narrowed, "Are we not friends, Kuro?"

"At one point, yes, we were." Kuro muttered, "Too bad too, there was a point in time that I trusted you more than anyone."

To that, Arc scowled, before marching off, "You'll learn to come around, one way or the other." She heard him mutter, before he too disappeared into the crowd.

She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but something about that comment was nagging at the back of her head.

She forced herself to sit and stay still, unable to keep her sanity had she not. There were too many people, and as big as she knew this castle to be, she felt as if the walls were beginning to close in.

The only thing that helped was when the crowd began to go back to their seats, Corvus returning to sit beside her, "Do not worry, Kitten; it'll all be over soon. We just have to go through the blessings and vows, and then we're done."

Kuro nodded, her fingernails digging into her arm rests. She didn't feel safe, something felt very off. She only half listened to the blessings and vows, her mind focusing on everything but nothing, her fingers absentmindedly pulling at each other.

Finally, Corvus stood up, gesturing for Kuro to follow. He was saying something, probably whatever vows he was about to bind himself to, but Kuro couldn't hear anything.

All of her senses were going haywire, making her head feel like she was about to explode. She could feel everything but nothing, and as time went on, she felt her skin growing almost feverishly hot.

Corvus didn't seem to notice, as he slipped on something cold and firm around her finger. She looked down, almost in a daze, as she noticed just how pretty yet simple the ring around her finger looked.

She didn't remember if they took her ring size, but it was a perfect fit. Looking closely, she'd almost forgotten how she'd given her ruby ring to Vanth. The ring on her finger, while she knew it felt wrong on her finger, it was a near-exact replica. From the width of the band to the size of the ruby, it all looked the same.

She looked up at Corvus with questioning eyes, something he must have thought to be adorable, since he offered an adoring smile, before holding her hand up, "If there is anyone to question the bond between the two of us, I urge you to speak out now, or forever hold your peace."

For just a moment, Kuro could see it. The two of them, while it wouldn't come along easily and quickly, they'd be happy. they could grow up to be happy, maybe even have children one day, if they both wanted to. She could see herself, holding a little girl, while watching a little boy running around in the gardens, maybe even Corvus back there with them, laughing along with the child.

But no, it wasn't meant to be.

She saw it before it had happened, but she still couldn't stop it. He seemed to jump out of nowhere, last time she'd seen him being him walking up to that queen of the butterflies or whatever.

He leapt out, his eyes narrowed with what could only be described as a second of crazed rage, his arm out, hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of an odd looking sword.

The blade looked like three other pieces of metal, intertwined at the very tip of the blade. The handle itself looked to be similar to the one of a fencing sword.

Corvus pushed Kuro out of the way at the last moment, Arc landing in the spot right between them. Arc's emotionless gaze suddenly made her feel apprehensive, how he managed to keep such a calm expression during all of this could only mean one thing.

This had all been pre-meditated.

"What are you doing?" She could hear Corvus shout, the only sound she could make out at the moment, "You fool, you'll be charged with treason for trying to pull a stunt like this!"

Arc remained silent, once again taking a swing at Corvus, only to have him jump back, off of the stage and onto a table.

He staggered a bit, fighting to regain his balance, forced to crouch on the table, hands flat on the surface.

Arc made another swing, forcing Corvus to pick up whatever was closest to him and throw it out, rolling to the side and out of the way of the sword.

Arc only scowled slightly, seeming more irritated than hurt when the offending silverware lodged itself into his right pants leg. He gave Corvus a look, as if to further question his choice of weapon, before taking another swing.

Corvus dashed about, ducking under the surprisingly long blade. He was so agile, putting those almost oddly long legs of his to use.

That was, until he Arc finally caught him.

Right there in front of her, Arc made a swipe for his feet, managing to finally trip him. Arc was slowly making his way over, enjoying every moment he could as he walked over, "You want her to be happy, do you not? Or was that some naive mindset you had in that arrogant head of yours? You can't possibly think that, after all you've put her through, a nice ring on her finger will make it all go away."

Kuro didn't think. She had already kicked off those damned high heels, already made the dash over. She glared down Arc, his surprised expression the only thing that could change in such a short timespan, as he could do nothing to control the downwards momentum of his sword arm.

The agony was like no other. Sure, she'd been stabbed and shot at with shards before, but to have the very blade meant to kill demon slide right down from her shoulder to her hip, the pain was searing. Her vision was giving out, to the point where everything was giving in to this sort of harsh white glow.

She felt herself fall to her knees, shaking arms just barely keeping her up. There was something else helping to hold her up, two pairs of arms trying there best to help. She went from dizzy to mental self-slaughter.

All she could comprehend was being slowly helped up, turning around the hold close her prince tightly, before finally, the heat from within unleashed itself, making everything fade into white.

* * *

 **Me: Aaaaaaaand that's how you kill off all hope!**

 **Amy:...What...The...Fuck...**

 **Erin: (0_0)**

 **Lilith: Well...that's one way to close up a story.**

 **Me: Nope, not closed up just yet. We've got one more to go, than I think I'm going to take a bit of a break from posting.**

 **Any who, hope you guys enjoyed, reviews help to fuel the beast, and hopefully the next chapter will be done within the next week!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	38. His Fair Lady, Once Angelic

In heaven, there are four distinct houses.

Veritas stood for Truth. They normally served as judges and mediators, in both the courts for those newcomers as well as everyday life. Those from the house of Veritas were known to be factual but blunt.

Audax stood for Courage. They were to serve as the peacekeepers of both heaven and earth, protecting those in need. Most from this house became guardian angels and the personal guardsmen of the big guy himself. Those from the house of Audax were both brave and courageous, jumping into the fight without a second thought. Alas, they were known to be quite rash and reckless.

Sanctimonia stood for Purity. Many of those who join or are chosen to join this house were once human. They hold the highest amount of angels to date, and do not fill in for any specific type of role. Yet, they're all kind and loving, most of which being able to speak and act their way out of any situation. Unfortunately, they were known to be naive, believing that the ideals of their house will prevail over the evil known to man.

And, last but not least, there was the house of Lux.

The house of Lux stood for all those of the light. They were the perfection in the perfection. The best of the best, angels who could do anything and everything. While not many are chosen by this house, those who are excel in everything they set their mind to. Yet, with each great achievement fulfilled, there was another hidden under the surface. Many believed themselves perfect, while the rest crumbled under the extreme expectations of their joining to the strongest angel group.

Each angel was seen as equal, those with strengths balanced out those with weaknesses. But, for some, that merely wasn't enough. For some, they didn't want balance, they wanted purity for all. Not just angels, but humans too.

One angel could see it very clearly. They could see the real root of evil, and for that, they pitied them. Both angels and humans, they were seen as lamentable pets, to a point. Even if they were possibly once a human, they saw that, in reality, no one was perfect; not even themselves.

And, in that imperfection, there was impurity.

They would not stand for impurity.

* * *

Arita groaned, rolling her shoulders as Ezequiel helped to put her armor back on.

She was beginning to think that it was just another doomed rescue mission, but looking back, that's how a lot of them went.

"It's going to be a quick in and out," Revana murmured, her dark eyes helping to keep Arita calm, "You know this. It's been worse."

"And we've made it out." Ezequiel added, his grin reaching his eyes, before patting Arita on the back, going over to help Revana, "All four of us, we've been through thick and thin! We've done this before, we can do it again. Only real difference here is that Seidax is coming with instead of pulling us out."

"I'm right here, you know." Seidax sighed from where he stood off to the side, pulling his helmet on, "Honestly, you always talk as if I'm not there."

Arita nodded, returning Ezequiel's grin. Of course they'd be okay, they've been through it all. Ever since initiation, they'd been very close knit. How it worked out, Arita never knew, and never bothered to question it.

Ezequiel, as always, was acting as the rally call. Maybe it was the way that his grin made it up into his warm golden eyes, or how he always had an air of courage around him. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was well-built, but to balance it out, a huge broadsword hung on his belt, golden armor gleaming.

Revana was a whole different story. She'd always had an air of wisdom around her. Sure, she wasn't the strongest-looking, but she was beyond doubt. Her long steel-white hair was pulled back for once, dark blue eyes almost cat-like. She wore a simple white tunic, her hands fiddling with a tiny knife. Not that she'd end up needing it, honestly, she never did.

While Ezequiel had an air of courage, Seidax exuded leadership. Maybe it was the way his eyebrows were knit together most of the time, or how he held himself while in the armor, but something about the guy made millions want to lay their lives down for him and whatever cause he was backing. Taking that all into consideration, no wonder he was now one of the highest ranking under Ash Sanctimonia himself.

"Drop is in five minutes," Seidax murmured, a hand on the hilt of his fencing sword, "Make sure you didn't leave anything behind."

"I'm sure that we'll be fine either way." Revana murmured, her voice low as she stared at each of them with a calculated expression, "But, assuming one of you don't make it back, I claim whatever is left in your dorm room."

"Wow, that was about as close to a battle cry as you've ever gotten, Revana." Ezequiel grinned, going in to slap her back, only to back off when she gave her the famous "Don't Fuck With Me" look, "When we get back, drinks on me."

"If."

"Nah, I'm sticking with 'when'."

"Never thought I'd see the day when Revana was willing to fight back with Ezequiel." Arita mused, tugging at her amor straps with a groan, her other hand wrapped tightly around a bow, "If know that this whole war thing can drive anyone mad and all, but I never thought I'd see Revana break."

Arita shared the grin Ezequiel had when Revana turned to face her, eyes narrowed, "I don't care how well you can fire that bow, Arita; you and I both know that hand-to-hand combat will not be amiable for you."

"Which is why I have the Great Wall of Ezequiel to hide behind." Arita grinned, stepping to lean on Ezequiel's side.

Revana looked like she was going to say something back, only for Seidax to sigh, "Alright, we have clearance to go. Let's pack it up and move on out."

"Sir, yes sir." Arita and Ezequiel said in unison, the two sharing a big laugh. As always, Seidax walked out, shaking his head as he did so. That was about as close to a chuckle as they'd ever get.

As they walked out, Revana huffed, "Assuming you both don't die on the mission, first training session that we get, I'm taking you both down."

"Whatever you say, Revrev." Arita said, Ezequiel letting out a light chuckle as they walked on, leaving for the drop room.

Right here, with all three of them with her, Arita felt calm. Nothing would happen, everything would be okay. They'd get back, Seidax would castigate Ezequiel for running in headfirst, with no plan and the hope that she'd be there to bail him out. They'd make it to the bar, where Revana would end up paying for everything, only to take her revenge the next day in some shape or form.

She knew it, as she looked down into the portal to hell, that they'd be fine. They could break into hell, free the angels, and still have time to laugh and be stupid afterwards.

With a small grin, she shook her head. Just because she didn't say it out loud didn't make it sound anymore believeable.

* * *

It was going surprisingly smooth.

Revana, having the map, lead them through the compound. The walls were a dark brick, the only light coming in was a burning red sun from outside. But, as dark and contrasting as it was, Revana kept her cool, whispering quietly to Seidax where to go and what rooms to cover and clear.

Meanwhile, Ezequiel and Arita stayed to the back, Ezequiel keeping his eyes forward while Arita kept her eyes where they had been, bow drawn.

So far, they hadn't come across anyone. Maybe the previous Reaper crew had done their job in keeping the demon distracted outside. If Arita remembered correctly, they were being led by a rather famous Reaper. She didn't know names, only to description of long silver hair.

"Hey, you're tuning out again."

Arita shook her head, giving Ezequiel a look, "Keep it down, we don't know who might be down here."

"Aww, don't be like that," Ezequiel said with a fake pout, nudging her arm, "I know that Seidax and Revana are hardasses, but that doesn't mean you gotta be like that too."

Revana gave the two of them a look over her shoulder, too which Arita smiled awkwardly and waved. Revana went back to ignoring the both of them, Seidax leading the way down the hallway.

"You know, I was wondering," Ezequiel went on, just a big lower than the last time, "You think that Seidax has changed a bit?"

"I'd like to think that we've all changed a bit," Arita murmured, "I mean, remember when all Revana would do is watch and glare?"

"You're still as loud as ever, Arita."

"Aww, thanks buddy."

"Quiet." Seidax ordered, looking at a door. He nodded to Revana, the two going in to clear it out, while Ezequiel and Arita stood outside.

"You know what I mean; I know you're not stupid, Arita."

Arita sighed softly, shaking her head. No, Ezequiel was just seeing things. Seidax had always had a one-way mind. Everything was black and white to him, there was no middle. It has always been like that, always on the right side of the line. There was no change, "You're seeing things."

"You're not looking closely." Ezequiel urged.

To this, Arita scowled, "You and Seidax have always butted heads; now's not the time for you two to go at it."

"Come on, I know you see something." Ezequiel murmured, giving the closed door another look, as if scared of what could come out of it, "Ever since graduation, something about him doesn't seem right."

"I'd like to think that most of us came out a bit more mature."

Before Ezequiel could bite back, the door was flown open, a bloody Revana limping out, Seidax right behind her, "We found where they're keeping the hostages."

"Holy shit, Revana, you good!?" Arita said, eyes wide with shock. She'd never seen Revana bleed, even of the gold was a nice color, she'd always assumed that she wasn't able to bleed, "What the fuck happened in there!?"

"Language." Seidax grunted, putting his fencing sword back, before helping to support Revana, only to have him slap her away, "One of them were in there, jumped us. Revana took the hit."

"So much for our commanding captain." Ezequiel grumbled under his breath with a light sneer.

Seidax still heard him, turning his pointed look to the taller angel, "What was that?"

"Nothing, let's just get this over with." Ezequiel sighed, moving to help Revana, only to have hr slap him away as well, "Damnit, don't you want me to bandage that!?"

"We didn't bring any of those," Revana grumbled, looking more irritated then in pain, "Besides, I got hit with a shard knife. Doesn't really heal normally."

"Come on, we have to keep moving," Seidax insisted, only after he'd gotten the "I'm fine, quit wasting time" look from Revana, "They're down this hall. Let's move."

"Roger that, Captain America." Arita said with a light grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"This is why we don't invite you to movie night anymore, Arita."

"Well, there's more than one reason we don't invite you out drinking anymore, Ezequiel."

"Jesus, could we have silence at least until we get to the prisoners?"

"Yeah...Sorry Revana…"

* * *

Ezequiel called dibs on kicking the door down.

Once he did, sword held out and at the ready, he grinned, "Guess not all demons lie."

"But they do all deceive." Revana murmured, pushing his way forward, doing her best to ignore her arm. She inspected the room carefully, as if taking in every detail.

The Angels in there were out cold, heads down with the only thing keeping them upright being the chains around their necks and arms, probably due to how long they'd been exposed to hell's atmosphere.

Revana took another step, almost falling over as she did so, only to have Seidax help her out, "I'll take care of this. You two, keep an eye on her."

Arita and Ezequiel nodded, Ezequiel making a light comment on how he just wanted all the glory, before helping Revana out of the room.

Once they were out, Revana shook her head, pulling herself away from the two as if they were a disease, "I am not incompetent, and you both know it."

"No, but you are bleeding profusely." Arita commented, causing the smaller angel to scowl.

"I wasn't aware that you've elaborated on your vocabulary."

"It was one word, screw off, Rev." Arita grumbled, about to go on, only to be pushed back, a loud explosion going off behind them.

Ezequiel moved to cover the two, holding his arms out while ducking his arms out, while Arita cursed, holding her hands over her now ringing ears.

Through the ringing, she saw Revana make a dash back for the door, anguish on her face, as she grabbed an arm, Seixdax's. For a second, Arita was scared that his arm was all that was left, only to watch Ezequiel help pull him out of the rubble, "What was that!?" Revana said, nearly shouting.

Arita drew an arrow, resting it against the bowstring as she took a few looks back. There was no way that no one heard that.

"I really don't know," Seidax admitted, a hand over his chest as he steadied his breathing, "I was about to help one up, and an explosion goes off. I'm guessing they were rigged, we could end up trapped down here."

Arita was ready to throw her bow down and scowl, thinking that they were fucked, only to have Revana narrow her eyes, "There were no charges."

"They could have been well hidden in the walls." Seidax insisted, before looking down the hall, cursing lightly to himself, "We'll have to go back, tell Ash that the rescue was a fail-."

"No," Revana hissed, pushing herself forward, "I checked those walls, there were no cracks, it was a new room made special for them. The only thing that could have sent off an explosion like that would have to be an angel's grenade."

"Maybe one of them were still armed. Maybe it got pulled-."

"No, I checked out that room," Revana insisted, pushing herself into his bubble, finger poking chest, "That wall was just made, there were to cracks, so there was no place to hide an explosive."

Seidax's eyes narrowed, never being one to be told he was wrong or having people get into his space, "What are you trying to say, Revana?"

"Why did you blow them up?"

Arita's breathing hitched, giving the two of them a look. There was no way that Seidax, pure and perfect Seidax, would ever hurt someone. But, at the same time, Revana has never been wrong.

The two shared a look, neither of them backing down. Before Arita knew it, golden blood flew to land on her face, eyes going wide as the sharp tip of a fencing sword went right through Revana's gut.

Revana's wide eyes and open mouth was reflected in Seidax's helmet, "Forgive me, old friend." He muttered, not sounding the least bit sorry before sliding her now limp body off, "But I had orders."

"Traitor!" Ezequiel bellowed, nearly throwing his sword out as he brought it down on Seidax, his eyes watering.

Seidax caught the blade between his hands, twisting it out of his hold, "I know you won't understand, but can't you see it?" He said, his voice staying even, "They've touched their feet upon the land of the Devil; they are unclean."

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Ezequiel shouted right back, trying to tug his sword back only to fail, "We were suppose to save them! We were suppose to bring them back home!"

All the while, Arita stood there, stunned. There was no way Seidax had just...Out of no where. She'd always assumed that he and Revana would end up together, with how perfect the two were, but staring at Revana's dead corpse on the ground really shook her, a hand still over her mouth. She ignored the sounds of Ezequiel and Seidax fighting, her mind going deaf. Revana couldn't die, they'd set that into stone a long time ago. So, to see the gold bleed out of her, it didn't feel right.

She was only brought back to it when she heard Ezequiel shout, "Arita, look out!"

She was pushed out of the way, pulling an arrow back and firing on instinct, only to soon regret it. Seidax, who must have had his helmet thrown off, met the arrow with wide eyes, before falling back.

Arita couldn't look back, as she walked over to where Ezequiel was. Now that she had her head on straight, she winced slightly at the sight of him slowly bleeding out, a tear through his armor leaking gold, "Come on, we need to get back." Arita murmured, voice low and dull.

Ezequiel was panting heavily, eyes wide as Arita helped him up, letting him lean on her much smaller frame as much as he could, "W-what about those two? We can't just-."

"There's no way we'd be able to drag them both back." Arita muttered bitterly, shaking her head, "Seidax is a traitor, and I know Revana would beat us silly if she ever found out that she were the reason we got trapped in hell, she'd fry us alive."

After that sorry attempt at humor, the two walked out in silence, hoping that nothing else could go wrong after that.

* * *

the moment they made it back, Arita dropped to her knees, hands holding her up as the world spun around her. The fight and flight back was hell, being how there was no way to get out without being noticed, especially after a show like that. The fact that they'd left Revana and Seidax, even if he were a traitor, left a bad taste in her mouth. So, she kneeled there, her eyes following the swirl of the gateway till her headache stopped.

Honestly, the entire ordeal was enough to make anyone want to forget life.

Ezequiel was slowly but surely taking off the armor, wincing in pain as he did so. Arita didn't need to turn around to know that those deep cuts would surely scar, "...Shit...Where do we go from here?" Ezequiel murmured, mostly to himself.

"Well, for one, you can explain to me where your commanding captain is and what happened down there."

the two jumped, well, Ezequiel jumped. All Arita could manage was a small nod and bow, unable to move much more from there.

In all his glory, Ash Sanctimonia stood before them, expression as unreadable as ever.

"Sir, I'm so glad you're here," Ezequiel said, letting out a repressed sigh, even in his salute, "Forgive my appearance, _domine_ Sanctimonia, but we've been through a bit."

"If you'd be so kindly as to explain." The angel said, arms crossed as he waited.

And so he did, Ezequiel spilled everything. Arita only watched the unfazed expression on the elder angel's face, the small twitch of disdain when Ezequiel revealed Seidax's treachery, followed by a head shake, "...You tell me that he was the reason for...all of this?"

"Yes." Ezequiel grumbled, before coughing into his hand, "Apologizes, _domine_."

"No, please, it is my fault." Ash grumbled, sighing as he drew his sword, "It's my fault for assuming that Seidax could really finish the job."

Arita watched with horror as Ezequiel choked out a few words, his eyes wide with shock and pain, before Ash pulled the sword out of his chest, "To think that'd he'd allow some scum to cralw their way back into heaven, what a disgrace." He sighed, kicking him backwards, right into the gateway.

"Ezequiel!" Arita shouted, reaching out too little too late, forced to watch his dying body fall back into the abyss, "You...You fucking piece of shit!" Arita snapped, forcing herself to rise, bow and arrow in hand, "How could you?"

Ash sighed, giving her a look, as if bored suddenly, "Of course you wouldn't understand, you're from the House of Lux."

He sighed, wiping his blade off, ducking when Arita fired, "Don't you see? those angel's were contaminated. Any angel who's stepped foot in hell should never have the chance to come back to heaven. Why do you think we turn down fallen angels?"

Arita drew another arrow, hands shaking, "So that was Seidax's plan, to kill us all because we just weren't good enough?"

"No, you give your fallen friend too much credit," Ash murmured, ducking under another arrow as he advanced, his other hand reaching into his pocket, "I was the one to put him to it. It was going to be his ultimate cleansing, to kill his own kind for the betterment of his own kind."

Arita scowled, out of arrows, before gripping the bow. She swung it at him, only to have him easily disarm her, fencing sword held high, before sheathing it, "Thankfully, since I know that nothing or no one is truly perfect, I came up with a decent insurance plan."

Arita held her hands up, fists clenched, before throwing a punch forward. She wasn't weak, far from it, but she was far from Revana's skill of hand to hand. Before she knew it, she was on her knees, feeling one hand on each wing behind her, before a foot pushed her down.

She didn't even process that she was screaming until she watched two angel's wings, tossed into the void, "Well, that's done, makes my job easier."

Ash grabbed her hand, sliding something onto her finger, the material burning, "Oh, don't worry, it'll only hurt for a bit longer." Ash grumbled, finally letting her go.

Arita looked over the ring is horror, her hand feeling as if it were on fire, "It's fitting, don't you think?" Ash muttered, taking out a handkerchief to clean off his hands, as if disgusted that he had to put his hands on her, "It took a long time to get my hands on that ring, do you know what I had to do to get the Audax to create a ring that would nullify an angel's powers?"

Ash shook his head, before crouching down, giving Arita a fake smile, "Don't worry, at least you'll be among scum like yourself. I've seen your kind, the Lux thinking that they're the best; thinking that us Sanctimonia are under your foot."

Ash put a foot to her chest, her vision slowly going blurry, "I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want him to go after you first, but hey, I'll make do with the hand I've been given. It'll feel much nicer when I know for sure that, down there, you're going to wake up as a demon with no prior memory."

And with that, she felt something push her back, right into the gateway. All she saw were the swirling colors as she felt down, hand reaching out for someone, anyone, to reach out and grab her arm and help pull her out.

* * *

Kuro laughed.

Her life, her entire life, had literally just flashed before her eyes.

Her mind didn't have to question where she was anymore. She was dead or dying, she could feel it. She didn't know what to think, heck, she didn't know if she could think.

She just felt weightless, just like how it felt when she was first tossed out of heaven. She was still waiting to hit the ground, but she knew the moment that happened, she wouldn't be waking up.

She wondered where she'd go from here. What was left? Did demons go anywhere after they died? Would she end up back in hell under a new name and face?

Suddenly, something touched her hand.

She jumped, or, she would have if she had the chance, the feeling of someone else touching her hand made her feel suddenly very naked.

She turned to face whoever it was, spending a quick second to wonder who was dying with her. It didn't take long to put two and two together, those wine red eyes were unmistakable.

No words were exchanged, as he pulled her closer to him, holding her close as he tucked her face into his shoulder.

She didn't know she was crying until she noticed that his jacket sleeve was wet. Even after it hit her, all she did was hug him back, burying her face as if she could hide form the inevitable, "...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…"

"No, don't apologize." Corvus murmured, shaking ever so slightly as if she'd disappear at any moment, but was still forced to stay strong, "I don't want our last words to be regret."

"But there's so much I wish I could take back." Kuro whimpered, nearly choking through the tears. She wanted to apologize for everything, for every time she'd made it hard for him just for her amusement. For every time she'd chosen Arc over him, even those few times when he'd begun to change. He was willing to do so much for her, and she didn't see it till the bitter end.

"Well, if you insist on keeping the regret, allow me to apologize." Corvus muttered into her hair, his hands absentmindedly playing with it.

"For what? For always trying to conform to what I wanted and needed?" Kuro said bitterly, her fingers digging into his coat. This was a terrible time to remember how warm he was, "For seeing that I wasn't perfect and trying to win me over anyway?"

"I'm sorry for how it started," Corvus replied, a bit of resentment filling his tone, "It could have been better. I will not lie to you, it all started to see if I could trump my brother. I thought you were a game at first, but by the time I realized it was you playing me, you already hated me. And for that, I know my words won't be enough to convey how sorry I am."

Kuro only chuckled lowly, looking up to meet his gaze. She could see it, that small smile, the gingerly touches, all of it crashing down with the pure sorrow in his eyes, "Looks like neither of us are perfect, huh?"

"After meeting you, I now know that I am far from adequate." Corvus murmured.

Kuro laughed, holding her hand over his own, "That is very uncharacteristic of a demon of your class, don't you think?"

"You will only ever hear the truth from my lips, darling." He said quietly, squeezing her hand, before looking around a bit, "...May I have this dance?"

Kuro wanted to say no out of instinct. She couldn't dance, there was no music, and there was no ground. But, deciding that she'd made him wait long enough, Kuro nodded, "Fair warning, I don't know how."

"You make that sound like a problem." Corvus smiled against her forehead, before spinning her around, one hand on her waist while the other rested against her hand, "This is how it should have been." He murmured, holding her close.

"Do enlighten me."

Corvus thought on it for a while, before spinning her around on his arm, "Well, for starters, after we were properly unioned, I'd have a better reason to spend more time with you."

"We could do anything, really. I know how much you enjoy Cresil experiment with plant-life in the garden. We could spend as much time there as you want. When my father finally gives in to age, something that will and can happen one day, I will take over as king for the rest of my life. But, with that, I could get you anything you wanted. Once I was named and crowned king, I could give you the world itself. If you wanted, we'd press on, take over the Surface, just so you can see the stars."

"But what if I didn't want that?" Kuro murmured, almost absent-minded. She ignored how she was slowly beginning to lose feeling in her toes.

"Well, tell me what you'd like then."

She thought it over. She could recall every time she'd been asked that question in the bar, normally in a joking manner from Abraxas, or just Vale trying to strike up conversation due to the total boredom slowly taking over.

Every time it was asked, she'd always reply with the first extravagant thing that came to mind. From a good Sonic game to a Unicorn, there was never a shortage of answers. So, once the question was put before her, she found it funny that if felt so hard to answer.

"...Honestly, now that I think it over...It wouldn't hurt to have a kid."

"You? A mother?"

"You say it so rudely, ya big meanie." Kuro grumbled, resting her head against his chest, "Maybe it was after looking over Vanth for so long, but I don't think I'd do half bad."

"Hmm, is that so?" Corvus hummed.

Before Corvus could go over, Kuro yelped, tripping over herself. The only reason she stayed upright was because Corvus was still holding her close, but that didn't stop him from stumbling back, just a bit, "Kuro!? What's wrong?"

She took a moment to look down, only to nearly hurl. Everything below her knees was dissolving into white flakes of...Something. She couldn't tell at the moment, but it was flying away, the sudden numbness was starting to make sense.

Corvus gently shoved her face into his shoulder, hugging her tightly, "Don't look."

"Too late." Kuro said, a melancholy laugh coming out of her throat, "So, this is what it feels like to die."

Corvus was muttering something, she could hear a few "No's" and "I'm sorry", but most of it was muffled. From what, she wasn't exactly sure, but she did know that she was slowly losing feeling in the tips of her fingers.

Corvus fell to his knees, still holding her close, "You know, I don't see why you're the one crying." Kuro said, another laugh coming out, "You're not the one dying."

"I'm so sorry." Corvus said, shaking, "I...I really should have tried harder, for you."

Kuro couldn't say anything, simply staring up into his eyes as he slowly tore himself apart. He looked as if he was on the brink of tears, hands shaking as he reached down to grab them, or, what was left of them, "I'll find you."

"W-what?"

"I don't care how long it takes, and I don't care for what has to be done." Corvus said, her voice sure as he looked her straight in her eyes, "I promise, even if it means I have to take on all the Grim Reapers in the world, even if I have to tear through heaven and hell; even if I find you and you don't remember. I will find you, and I will make it all up to you."

He then kissed her forehead, everything below her elbows numb, "I'll do it right this time, I swear."

Kuro only shook her head, her eyes growing heavy with tears. She couldn't tell him how the odds were, once again, stacked against them. Who knew what happens to a demon when they die? Who knew where'd she'd go, or what would happen?

Kuro nuzzled his coat, sniffling, "C-Corvus...Corvus, I'm scared."

He hushed her, petting her hair down as he did so. He looked like he wanted to say something, but what else would help? Nothing could be done from here.

With one last pained grin, Kuro pressed a small kiss to his lips, a small gesture that she should have given him a long time ago, "You know, Corvus...You really weren't half bad at being a fiancé."

And with that, she closed her eyes, the rest of her going numb as the light slowly but surely died out.


	39. Epilogue

**You guys didn't think that I'd just leave you all hanging, did ya?**

* * *

Violet clutched her arm, nearly tumbling out the door and down the once lavish drive, constantly looking back as she did so.

Her right arm was slowly but surely bleeding out, knife still in hand, but it was a minor detail at the moment. She couldn't help but feel just a bit of pride as she watched the mansion behind her go up in flames.

She kept going on, not stopping the run until she was well past the tree line. Once she was sure she'd gotten far enough, she slowed down, just a bit.

Her heavy breathing was creating puffs of smoke in the cold air, the sky cloudless as she walked on.

To think that, after countless years of planning, she'd finally gotten out. Granted, there had been false starts and awry attempts, many resulting in some of her friends being punished and some accidently killed in the process.

"Behold, the Great House of De Angelus." Violet muttered, chuckling darkly to herself. Those two, Oliver and Madison De Angelus, they had it for a long time coming.

She'd lived in the mansion for years as the youngest of the three De Angelus children. Not that she'd know it right off the bat, having been considered and treated like an only child for her whole life. Apparently, from what her sensitive mind gathered, her parents had been running a cult. At first, they'd try to make sacrifices out of her two older sisters, but when that didn't work, and they were ready to try again, that's when the visions hit.

For as long as she could remember, she'd get flashes. Flashes of a place. Sometimes it was what looked to be a large wooden bar, with people, no, almost hybrids of humans, animals and...Something else. Something she couldn't name. Other times, it was from within a castle, one with dark walls and...Someone, there was always this person, a picture of perfection, although blurry, always with her.

After she'd told, her parents decided that, just maybe, they wouldn't kill this one. Just maybe, they could go ahead and let this one live. Just maybe, they could get others to join, claiming that their child has seen bits and pieces of the future, or maybe the world after this one.

That's how the cult had gained members originally, her parents were good at weaving their tales, and before she knew it, they'd grown in numbers. Some of those followers were parents, and a lot of those parents were more than willing to give up their children for "a greater cause".

At first, she'd assumed that they were new friends. She'd go down into the basement to visit them, never really understanding their fear, not until she was forced to "oversee" a ritual.

After that, everything was shed in a different light. Her parents, whatever ounce of atonement they had left was long gone.

And so, from there, she began to plot with the girls down there. At first, it was small things, sneaking down more food, or sneaking some of them in and out of the estate. But, after a while, whoever was left, they began to hatch a plan. It took a long time, but Violet finally managed to put together a complex map of the whole place.

Without that, the plan never would have worked.

She continued to trek on, barefoot and cold, clutching the the oversized blanket held around her. It was a big help, especially with the thin ragged dress she wore, but still not really much. Her long dark brown hair whipped around in the wind, dark blue eyes squinting to keep the cold out.

She kept squeezing her right hand, trying to keep feeling in it. Whether she was losing tactility in her hand due to blood loss or the cold was anyone's guess really.

Violet let out a sound between a squeak and an annoyed huff, as she tripped and went face first into the hard dirty ground. She groaned, rubbing her nose, before a rustle of the bushes behind her made her go stiff.

She took a second to look over the targeted area, her knife ready to go in for the kill, only to let out a sigh of relief when all that came out was a rabbit, looking totally oblivious to whatever she was doing.

"Must be nice," She muttered, giving the rabbit a fake sour look before walking on, "Not having to live in constant fear."

As she walked on, doing her best to enjoy all nature had to offer, she couldn't help but wonder where the other girls were. All she'd done was set the fire, assuming that they'd all already left the way she'd opened up for them. Of course, now that she thought harder on it, she knew that hoping they'd all make it out wasn't exactly sensible.

For one, she was pretty sure that, if they didn't get out before she lit the place up, they were so past dead right now. On top of that, she knew that many of them were sick, which was part of the reason that the escape plan had been rushed.

She shook her head, trying not to think of them walking about in the cold like her, slowly but surely succumbing to their symptoms. Poor Julianne, she could see her probably coughing as she crawled out and away from what was left of the mansion.

Assuming she'd made it out, of course.

Once again, she shook her head, groaning. Now was not the time, they all knew the risks, that's the only way for the plan to have worked at all. But, even then, she couldn't help but feel as if she had blood on her hands.

She looked to the sky, a crescent moon staring right back. She wondered what happened to those who didn't make it, maybe now they were protecting her from up above?

A howl made her jump, the sound piercing through the night sky. "So much for that hope." Violet grumbled, feeling the need to run. Something was watching her.

She walked on, knife held onto tightly as she did so, eyes constantly watching for any sign of movement. She really wanted one of the girls to come out, for them to be together against whatever was out here rather than being alone, but there was little to no chance for that.

What she'd give to see one of them, any of them. From selfless Leona to irritating but somewhat loving Jeanne, she'd give her own right arm to see any of them.

And, judging by how she couldn't feel her fingers, it looked like she would be giving it up anyway.

Her head whipped around when a low growl went off to her left, knife held out as if it would do anything to help her. She cursed, backing up as the huge wolf slowly emerged from the bushes, unsure if she was shivering from the cold or fear.

She wasn't sure what to do, as she tried her best to exude anything but fear. Didn't look like the wolf was taking any of it though, as it snapped its jaws at her, the growls slowly but surely getting louder.

Violet held the knife out, keeping her right arm back as she backed up. In all her time spend being alive, not once had she really ventured out beyond the gates of the mansion. Of course, she'd heard stories from the other girls, about how their families were willing to risk wolf attacks to come here and join.

Looking over the teeth on the wolf, she now saw that Nicki's story of how she lost her leg wasn't, in fact, complete bullshit. She made a mental note to apologize about that if she ever found the girl, assuming that both she and Nicki would live long enough for such a day to come.

In a moment of pure stupidity, Violet turned around and ran into the forest, her adrenaline-filled body utterly sure that she could outrun an animal made to dash and kill prey on four legs meant for running.

Her mind, of course, was quickly proven wrong when she heard the dirt being kicked up behind her. Within seconds, she yelped, powerful jaws snapping down on her ankle, quickly pulling her down to the ground.

She didn't register the pain just then, instead opting to flail around almost uselessly, throwing her knife about as she did. She must have hit something in her panicked flurry, as the jaws retracted, a pained whimper being the last thing to come from the animal before it scampered away.

Violet's breathing was heavy before, making it even harder to inhale now. She could feel it, her leg, or whatever was left of it, a mangled mess. Choking on air, she crawled her way forward.

It was foolish. the entire plan was stupid. Assuming that any of them made it out of the mansion, no one would have known where to go from there. There was a small town to the North, assuming any of them knew directions, that was a few miles out. There was no way any of them would have made it that far, herself included.

Finally, with only her left hand to pull herself forward, she pushed herself to lean on a tree. Her left hand, having dropped the knife somewhere along the pitiful crawl, fell to cover her right arm.

Her breathing grew ragged, each moment seeming to drag on as slowly as possible. Her right arm was either numb or getting there, leaving her with the blazing sparks of pain that ran up her spine from her leg.

It took a lot of might not to look at it dead on, but after a while, she gave in, only to have her expression freeze.

She refused to throw up at the sight of what was left, instead opting to look to the sky, choking down her whimpers. She could see the bone in more than one spot, the blood making it difficult, but she could definitely see it. God, did it look gross, but after all she's seen, in both visions and everyday life, she didn't think that her stomach would threaten to give in.

She tried to drown out all of her sounds of pain, doing everything from biting down on her lip to clawing at the ground. All the while, she kept giving the treeline the look, trying to see if any other wolves would try to come on in after her.

As tired as she was, sleep wasn't an option. With it being this cold and her current situation, there was a chance that she'd never wake up again.

She thought it over briefly; was it really worth it in the end? Say she did survive this, what then? Where would she go, and what would she do?

Would living through this really be worth it all in the long run?

Her jaw clenched, as her leg basically screamed out in pain again. She remembered some girls from the basement, found dead in the morning. The members assumed that it was due to the conditions, but the girls down there really knew what was up. From rat poison to rusted pieces of spare metal on the ground; they were willing to do whatever they thought they had to just to escape.

In a sense, they were damn brave. Only reason it never occurred to Violet was because of her duty, in a sense. Her visions, and what she saw in them, was what drew in new members. New members meant happy parents, and usually that meant Violet wouldn't have to worry too much.

But now...In pain, stuck in the woods, and possibly surrounded by wolves.

She may or may not have been considering the coward's way out.

"Thought I 'eard something over 'ere."

Violet's heavy eyes lifted to look the person over, eyes narrowing as the person came closer. He was dressed in an occult uniform, the cloak he wore making him look toasty as the snow began to fall. His face was masked under the shadow of his hood, but Violet still knew that, like all the other members, he could not be trusted, "I'm sure you know 'ow bad this looks, right?"

Violet stayed silent, her head practically swimming through names as she did so. She was sure she'd heard this voice before, but she's always been bad at putting names and faces together, " 'ere I am, walking back to the mansion with my catch, only to come face to face with my 'ome on fire. You know what that feels like, Sweet'art?"

She knew the accent for sure, one of the girls in the basement had a similar one, but she couldn't remember this guy's name, "Of course you don't. You're the pampered princess, Sweet'art. So, that leaves the question…"

Violet growled, attempting to kick his hand away, only for him to grab her leg, pulling her much tinier frame up, "'y on earth you set that 'ole place on fire?"

Violet, in as much pain as she was, did not back down. She kept her expression emotionless, saved for the sparks of pain and irritation.

To that, the man sighed, his other hand coming up to pull his hood off. The piercing green eyes looked familiar, but still didn't do much to help, "Fine, don't talk. Makes my next move a lot easier."

That's when it clicked.

Loren Himos. She'd arrived about two months prior. She had to ask her parents, but what they'd gathered, her father had been charged with the rape and murder of two women from a town far off. Of course, her parents had offered food and shelter, in exchange for his daughter.

To which he couldn't have agreed to the terms quicker.

And now, here she was, alone and injured in the woods with her father; Fynn Himos.

Violet's movements became more erratic, as she felt something tugging at her shorts, " 'ey, don't be like that." Fynn tsked, bringing his hand up to stroke it down her cheek, "But I won't lie, I do love a me a challenge."

Violet growled, eyes narrowing, before leaning into his hand. A first, he looks almost delighted that she would be okay with it, only to drop her right after she sank her teeth into his hand, biting down just hard enough to draw blood.

He cursed, nearly dropping her on her head, as he clutched his hand, giving her a dark look, "You're gonna get it, Sweet'art."

Violet let out a scream as he got closer, closing her eyes and looking away being the only other thing she could do. She waited for...Something to happen. She dreaded the moment that those calloused hands would be laid down on her again, the moment where she'd be striped to nothing, but it didn't come.

She was tempted to open her eyes, to see what was wrong, only to hear feral growls, followed by muffled screams. So she stayed there, unable to move, eyes screwed shut. She didn't open them when she heard bones snapping, thinking that the wolves would be on her at any second now, once they realized that she was out here too.

She jumped when the footsteps began to pad over, most likely done with whatever was left with Himos, her eyes willing themselves as shut as possible with each step.

"...Finally."

Violet's eyes threw themselves open, confused. Himos's body was on the ground behind him, at least, she assumed it to be. Being how there was only a mess of body parts left, the only way for her to be sure that it was him was due to his contorted yet clear expression of pain and agony in his last minutes.

Not very comforting, but at least she was sure that it was him.

Finally, she gave the figure standing before her a look.

He wore a very fancy black tailcoat and dress pants, with matching dress shoes and a nice fancy white dress shirt. In his breast pocket was a silver chain, most likely attached to a pocket watch.

His face looked...oddly recognizable. His raven black hair seemed almost painfully familiar, his red wine colored eyes...She's seen this man before…

"Well, good evening to you, young miss."

That's when she snapped. She laughed, nearly toppling over as frosty tears fell from her eyes. This must have been enough to startle the man, before she shook her head, "Hey, are you an angel?"

"I...I'm sorry?"

"Are you going to take me up to heaven?" Violet went on, cackling almost. Finally, she wouldn't have to worry. She could kiss all of it goodbye, from the vivid visions to the mind-splitting pain she was in at the very moment.

"...Is that what you really wish for?" the man asked. When Violet looked up to look him in the eye, she sat there a bit confused. Why would this stranger hold any pity for her?

"Well...I...umm…" Violet muttered, slowly growing sheepish. Of course, she'd love for the pain to end, but for whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to outright say it.

"If you're immediate answer isn't yes, then that means you still want to live." He stated, as if it were as obvious as the night sky.

Before Violet could retort with some witty comment, she coughed, bringing her only good hand up to cover her mouth. She pulled it back, not sure if there was more horror or pain gracing her expression when a large amount of blood appeared in her hand, "...Well damn."

He regarded her for a moment longer, before holding his hand out to her, "Make a deal with me."

"Huh?" She asked. Well, she assumed she did, her mind wasn't really doing well with all the damn blood loss.

"I can help you," He insisted, holding his hand out for her, "I promise; please let me help you. I can't lose you again."

Before Violet could ask, she felt herself lurching over, her head screaming. She was caught, probably by the only person around at the moment, forcing her nose into his jacket. Of course, with that revelation, the first thing to come to mind was to apologize. Maybe all those years of discipline from her uptight mother was finally getting to her, after all these years.

"They're only put into place to help you," Her mother would insist, all while her father was either gone, busy working with the other members, or he stuck around and watched when he had nothing better to do, "Now, from the top, or it's back to the ice tub for you."

When she came back too, she was being held close. He was muttering something, his voice muffled in her hair, but she caught traces of him pleading, begging her to let him help her, to save her.

The entire time, she just stayed there. She wouldn't lie, physical affection of any kind wasn't something she'd ever gotten enough of, but still, it just felt...odd.

Part of her wanted to make a joke out of it, how her last moments could be a literal embrace of death, but she only had the strength to reach up with her good hand, finding and finally grabbing his own gloved one, attempting to shake it at their awkward angle, "Deal." She croaked, before collapsing against him.

* * *

 _She's falling again._

 _She didn't know why, why was she reliving this? She was falling, her hands flailing outward. Her back, it felt as if someone had ripped something out of her spine, it hurt._

 _All the while, names flashed before her eyes, as if she were going into shock. Seidax, Revana, Ezequiel. Who were these people? Were they people?_

 _Who was Lux? Who was Arita? Who was she?_

 _All the while, the whistling of wind in her ears only grew louder, before her back collided with something hard._

 _She blinked, and the scene changed again. She looked around, it was that castle again. She looks down at her hand, her fingers were twisting and pulling at a ring around her finger. Where had she gotten it? Did she always have this ring?_

 _A small jump forward, and she's on her hands and knees, looking for something. It was her ring, something told her. Finally, she looked up, face to face with someone. His face was blurry, but she could make out golden eyes behind glasses, the ring in his hands._

 _Another jump, and suddenly, she face with face with those same wine red eyes. Those eyes bore into her, almost threateningly so. They could command her to walk off a cliff, and she'd do it with no question. But, at the same time, she could see emotion behind them, as if he wanted to cherish her for the rest of her life._

 _He was reaching his hand out to her now, his eyes asking for her hand. She didn't know why, but something about this stranger made her feel...sorrow. As if she'd wronged him so many times, and yet here he was, waiting patiently for her to come to him._

 _Slowly but surely, she reached her hand out for him, placing it in his._

* * *

Violet woke with a sudden gasp, nearly flying from her bed.

It took a moment to realize where she was, the moment she looked down at the familiar bedding and drapes really snapped it into place for her, which just left her more confused.

She was at home.

She slowly got out of bed, pulling at the bottom of her nightgown as she walked over to the window. She looked out, and sure enough, the yard and drive was as clean and neat as possible.

But no, she backed away, hands out to steady herself. This was wrong, what was going on? There were times back then, when she'd have trouble telling what was real and what was a vision, but she was sure that she'd burned this place down.

She jumped when a knock came to the door, moving to her closet. She got down on her knees, pulling a dagger from under it, before approaching the door, hiding it behind her back, "...You may come in."

Her breathing hitched when the door opened, the stranger from last night walked in, dressed the same while holding nothing other than a glass vial, "Ah, lady De Angelus, you're awake-."

Faster than either could really react, Violet pulled the dagger on him, holding it out as if ready to defend herself, "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

Usually, someone didn't look nearly overjoyed when you pulled a knife on them, but this man managed to pull it off, "Now then, my lady, there is no need for such an action. Maybe you'd like to take a drink first."

"And let you, a stranger, poison me?" She scoffed, eyeing the vial as if it were a bitter medicine.

"A stranger that saved you, yes."

"Still, that's a bit sketchy. I'm not the smartest, but I know better then that much."

She took a step forward, only to wince slightly, her hand going to her abdomen. to this, the man sighed, holding his hand out, "As if I'd ever try such a thing. But, if you don't take it, I doubt you'll recover from last night any time soon."

She eyed him once again, only to really look down and examine herself. Her right arm, which had been turning purple if memory held, was now back to its pale self. Now that she looked herself over, everything from the minor cuts on her face to her mangled leg, all healed up.

To this, her eyes narrowed, looking the vial over, before snatching it from his hands, "Gimme that." She muttered, looking it over. She had no idea how to tell is something was poison or not, but since it wasn't green and all bubbly, it couldn't kill, right?

"You're sure this won't kill me?" She muttered, giving him a weird look.

To this, he smiled, "I've been giving you doses of that for a while now, and you've yet to die."

To that, she down the bottle, gagging from the taste as she did so. It tasted akin to salt and...something burning. It was as if she were drinking liquid lava, "You can never be too sure around people, especially in this day and age. Strangers will say anything to get what they want."

"Rest assured, my lady, I'll never think to do such a thing to you." He insisted, before going over to her bed, moving to fix it up, "I take it that you slept well?"

"Like the dead." Violet stretched, using the bottom of her sleep shirt to rub her eyes, before it hit her, "Which is odd, you know, since I burned this place down last night."

"Did you now?" He said, sounding oddly pleased with himself, the weirdo. Of course, it wasn't like she had anything that could be said, she had allowed herself to quickly trust this stranger.

That brought up another question for him, but that could wait a bit later, "How is it still here?"

"I built it back up." He sighed, stating it as if, again, it was as obvious as the green in the grass.

That got her to snap back a bit, eyes going wide, "That's impossible."

"For someone like you, yes, it is."

"How do you even know what this place looked like?" Violet asked, slowly growing more alarmed as time went on, her grip on the dagger tightening. Had this all been a mistake? Maybe this guy had been stalking her and her home. No, that couldn't be in, only members knew where this place was, and she knew that he wasn't one of them, "More importantly, how did you put it back together?"

"To answer your first question, I know a lot more about you then you give me credit for," He said with that happy tone, his smile throwing her off. Is it bad if his smile made him look more punchable? For some reason, it was a familiar expression, "As for how I did it...Well, I'm sure that much is obvious to you now, yes?"

She wanted to scoff. Her parents had spent her entire life playing mind games with her, now was not the time to really test it. But, with eyes like those, a temperament that was almost too perfect, he definitely wasn't human.

"That reminds me," He muttered, taking off his gloves before pulling something small from his pocket, "I have a small gift for you, my lady."

The moment his bare hand touched hers, she gasped, shaking a bit. her vision was a rushing blur, almost tinted red as the words popped up in her head. She was shaking, or, she felt like she was. It was a feeling similar to those from the visions, but instead of the usual cold rushing against her skin, now she just felt warm, hot almost.

She looked at her, or, more so through him. She could still see his smirking face, but there was another person, another entity, lying right under that. His eyes looked more feral, turning to cat-like pupils. The wine red had faded to a much brighter shade of pink. His smile showed slightly pointed fangs.

"Y-you're a demon." She heard herself say.

"And you're as intuitive as ever," He said, his voice making her blink, the shadowy image of his gone, "Where I am from, I am referred to as Corvus; but you may give me any name you please, my lady."

"Corvus...Okay...Huh…" Was all Violet could managed to say. She had to admit, as scary as that after image looked, there was still that sort of safe feeling. She knew him, she knew it, but she had no idea where in the mess of her mind to begin.

The visions were a major key, of course, but she didn't know where to start. She herself couldn't even figure out odds and ends with what was going on in her head, and even attempting to begin to could be enough to put anyone into a mental hospital. But that's when his eyes sparkled, as if he knew what she was thinking, and wanted nothing more but to help her realize it.

Maybe he really did know more than she gave him credit for.

He gave her hands a small squeeze, before pulling his hands away, "A perfect fit, if I do say so myself. I personally like my seal on it."

Violet looked down at the ruby ring around her finger, a feeling of deja vu washing over her. If she looked really closely, she could see some sort of symbol embedded into the gem, the ring itself almost glowing with warmth.

She took a long gander at it, marvelling at how, just like this man- no, this demon, it was giving her that feeling again. That sort of spark your mind gives when something's right in front of you and all you have to do is reach, but something else stops you from it.

Finally, the man, Corvus, sighed, "Well, when you are ready, my lady, we do have a lot that we'll have to finish by the end of the day."

"Wait!" She shouted, right before he could exit out the door, "You're a demon, correct?"

"That is correct, yes."

"And we made some sort of deal last night, right?"

"...Yes...Yes we did."

"What exactly were those perimeters?"

Corvus stopped in the doorway, posting a hand on the doorframe, "...I have promised to stay by your side. I will never lie to you, never turn on you, never hurt you. I will do as you ask, no questions asked, but I do recommend that you be wise with those commands."

"And what do you get in return?" Violet asked, tossing the dagger to the side before crossing her arms, giving the back of his head a pointed look, "Demons don't do things for free, you want something in return. So, what is it? When I die, will you take my soul?"

He turned to face her, an almost sad smile on his face, "When the end comes, you will know what I want. But, for right now, seeing your face again is more than enough for me."

And with that, he left her in that room with a small knowing smile on his face, leaving her confused for a few seconds, only to shrug it off, getting ready for the day.

After so many years, he'd found her. He never thought he'd be this lucky, to find her reincarnation, but not even God himself would keep him away from her this time.

Sure it would take longer, but if he could do it once, surely he could pull it off once again. Of course, it would be much easier for him to just spill everything, but something told him not to. Surely, he could get her to remember, and maybe during that, he could win her heart over once again.

He had a promise to keep, and he was going to do it right this time.

* * *

 **And that'll be the real end of this story. The rest of it can be up to you guys, whatever you think will happen next. I know that some people think that this is a sort of cop out ending, but really, I like these sorts of ambiguous endings. Lets you come up with your own on your own, whatever you want to happen next could happen next.**

 **Oh, writing Fanfiction from Fanfiction, what a funny and odd idea.**

 **Well, technically, I did that, but still, sounds almost trippy.**

 **I'm thinking about doing a sequel, give you all that happy ending that I know you all want, but that's honestly up to you guys. I rewrote this chapter so many times, I have maybe three different endings. And who knows, maybe I'll post those too some day. But, again, it's your guy's call.**

 **Anyway, for real, this is it. I think I'm going to give myself a little break, at least a month.**

 **...You all know what that really means, I'll be back next week XD.**

 **To anyone that drops reviews these days, your call. Should I give My Shadows its sequel or should I try my hand at Overwatch again? I have a different story, and maybe it's due to my "Accidentally creating a Mary Sue" PTSD, but I'm a bit apprehensive when it comes to testing that fandom again.** **Or, maybe I'll just stick with this. I have a small idea, and an idea of where to take it, but again, up to you guys.**

 **Amy: I'm still waiting on my sequel, you know.**

 **Me: You'll get it. Maybe. Some day. I think.**

 **Amy: Well, that's not fair! I've been here the longest, but everyone but me has managed to get a sequel so far!**

 **Lilith: I didn't yet.**

 **Amy: "Yet" being the key words there.**

 **Me: That...Is true, won't lie.**

 **Amy: Do you even have an idea.**

 **Me: A rough one, yeah.**

 **Amy: Oh, so like every other Fanfiction story?**

 **Me: Yep.**

 **Amy: No wonder Atrium got so much hate...**

 **Me: Shush it. Just to screw with you, maybe I'll go ahead and give Kuro a sequel just to fuck with you.**

 **Amy: you wouldn't.**

 **Kuro: She totally would.**

 **Amy: Wait, what even is your name now?**

 **Kuro: Huh?**

 **Amy: Are you Kuro, or Violet De something fancy?**

 **Me: Meh, I'll figure it out later.**

 **Till then, quick summary. You guys choose which story next, if not, I'll probably leave it up to coin toss or something. For real, don't forget to see the original story on DeviantArt, really, props out to that person who came up with such an idea.**

 **Well, with that, I hope you guys enjoyed this story! Feel free to leave a review, I love reading what you guys have to say, and hopefully, I didn't let you all down with this one!**


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